YALE 


HER    HONOR-ROLL 


AMERICAN  REVOLUTION 


1775-1783 


INCLUDING     ORIGINAL     LETTERS,     RECORD     OF     SERVICE,    AND 
BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES 


BY 


HENRY  P.  JOHNSTON 


NEW  YORK 

PRIVATELY  PRINTED 
1888 


COPYRIGHT  BY 

HENRY  P.  JOHNSTON 


2  ^  3 


Press  of 

G.  P.  PUTNAM'S  SONS 
New  York 


PREFACE. 


ANY  one  familiar  with  the  personal  history  of  the 
leaders  of  the  Revolution  must  have  remarked  upon 
the  large  representation  of  college-bred  men  among 
them. 

This  was  not  only  a  suggestive  fact  in  the  experi 
ence  of  a  provincial  population,  but  in  part  explains 
the  method  and  reasonableness  of  the  revolutionary 
movement  itself.  No  similar  revolt  in  history  was 
grounded  less  in  bitterness  and  hate,  or  developed 
more  naturally  from  discussion  and  conviction.  As 
the  public  controversy — the  issue  in  documentary 
form — turned  upon  the  constitutional  relation  of  the 
colonies  to  the  mother  country,  it  required  a  certain 
amount  of  general  learning  and  familiarity  with  colo 
nial  history  to  engage  in  it  intelligently.  The  ques 
tion  appealed  to  the  educated  and  professional 
element,  which  included  not  only  lawyers,  ministers 
and  orators,  but  many  merchants  as  well  whose  dis 
gust  at  England's  restrictive  commercial  policy  in 
tensified  their  opposition.  The  speeches  in  assem 
blies  and  town-meetings,  the  sermons  and  pamphlets 


iv  Preface. 

on  the  issues  of  the  day,  the  petitions  and  protests 
which  British  statesmen  admired  for  their  dignity 
and  breadth  of  views,  were  in  many,  probably  in  most 
instances,  the  efforts  and  product  of  trained  minds. 
The  colleges  of  the  day  could  count  among  their  alumni 
such  men  as  Otis,  Warren,  Hancock,  the  Adamses, 
Hawley,  Trumbull,  Wolcott,  Jay,  the  Livingstons  and 
Morrises,  Hopkinson,  Rush,  Jefferson,  Harrison, 
Gerry,  Wythe,  Lyman  Hall,  and  others  whose 
names  are  interwoven  with  the  history  of  that  period. 
Their  influence  in  the  earlier  and  more  important 
Congresses  is  indicated  in  the  fact  that  very  nearly 
one  half  of  the  signers  of  the  Declaration  of  Inde 
pendence  were  graduates. 

The  colonist  was  proud  of  such  leadership.  It 
proved  the  wisdom  of  his  policy  in  encouraging  edu 
cation,  especially  the  higher  education,  from  an  early 
date.  The  nine  colleges  he  had  founded  before  the 
Revolution  were  :  Harvard  in  1636  ;  William  and 
Mary,  1693  ;  Yale,  1701  ;  Princeton,  1746 ;  Columbia, 
1754;  University  of  Pennsylvania,  1755;  Brown, 
1765;  Dartmouth,  1769;  and  Rutgers,  1770.  The 
aggregate  number  of  their  alumni  living  at  the  out 
break  of  the  war  was  about  two  thousand  five  hundred, 
which  may  be  regarded  as  a  fair  proportion  of  the 
population  in  those  colonies  which  supported  the 
colleges  ;  and  they  had  their  full  weight  in  the  com 
munity,  for  in  addition  to  those  who  took  a  dis- 


Preface.  v 

tinguished  part  in  the  larger  political  field,  others 
became  judges,  legislators  and  governors,  and  filled 
many  of  the  minor  civil  offices. 

As  a  revolutionary  soldier,  the  graduate  is  less 
familiar  to  us.  That  he  made  a  notable  record, 
however,  is  quite  certain,  and  its  revival  would  not 
only  be  a  happy  act  of  remembrance,  but  the  material 
itself  a  valuable  contribution  to  the  personal  history 
of  those  times.  All  the  colleges  were  represented  in 
the  field,  and  in  larger  numbers  than  they  are  gener 
ally  credited  with.  The  four  oldest  in  the  list,  having 
many  more  graduates  and  graduates  of  longer  stand 
ing  than  the  rest,  were  conspicuously  represented. 

There  was  something  in  the  aim  and  courage  of 
those  alumni  "  Continentals"  we  cannot  very  gracious 
ly  forget.  Not  only  could  they  shout  as  vigorously 
against  the  Stamp  Act  and  talk  of  their  rights  as 
earnestly  as  any  others,  but  they  clearly  foresaw  that 
if  the  sword  were  once  drawn,  it  would  not  be  simply 
to  decide  the  limit  of  ministerial  or  parliamentary 
authority,  or  even  to  establish  their  independence  as 
the  only  remedy  of  their  wrongs.  It  is  remarkable 
how,  after  the  fighting  began,  the  colonists  as  a  body 
lost  sight  of  the  original  issue  and  dropped  all  thought 
of  returning  to  their  former  allegiance.  They  were 
looking  to  the  future.  We  may  say  that  they  fought 
in  the  line  of  destiny.  What  sustained  them  through 
the  struggle  was  largely  the  inherited  conviction  that 


vi  Preface. 

though  nominally  or  politically  they  were  subjects  of 
Great  Britain,  in  another  sense  and  in  a  more  natural 
way  they  were  the  true  proprietors  of  the  soil  and 
founders  of  new  communities  whose  prospective  as 
well  as  immediate  interests  it  was  their  first  duty  to 
consult. 

In  the  case  of  that  portion  of  the  revolutionary 
soldiery  to  which  the  writer's  attention  has  been  called 
in  the  present  work,  it  may  be  stated  that  with  few 
exceptions  the  graduates  were  descendants  of  fami 
lies  which  came  to  this  country  before  the  year  1690. 
At  the  opening  of  the  war  they  represented  the 
fourth,  fifth,  and  sixth  generation  from  the  first  immi 
grant,  and  were  members  of  what  might  be  called 
the  patrician  element  in  colonial  society.  It  was  the 
element  which  instinctively  considered  itself  entitled 
to  the  control  of  the  continent,  as  against  the  mother 
country,  in  all  matters  of  vital  concern.  The  best 
men  among  them  kept  referring  to  the  possibilities 
of  the  future  as  being  theirs  to  mark  out  and  develop  ; 
such  men,  for  example,  as  Dr.  Stiles,  who  both  be 
fore  and  after  he  became  President  of  Yale  impressed 
this  idea  of  destiny  upon  his  hearers,  or  such  men 
as  Dr.  Dwight,  who  when  tutor  at  the  college  deliv 
ered  an  address  to  the  students  in  1776,  in  which  he 
reminded  them  of  the  wide  field  and  the  great  duties 
before  them.  "  Remember,"  he  said,  "  that  you  are 
to  act  for  the  empire  of  America,  and  for  a  long  sue- 


Preface.  vii 

cession  of  ages.  .  .  .  Your  wishes,  your  designs,  your 
labors  are  not  to  be  confined  by  the  narrow  bounds 
of  the  present  age,  but  are  to  comprehend  succeed 
ing  generations."  The  graduate  of  '76  and  men  like 
him  took  up  the  sword  for  the  new  America.  Deep 
ly  interested  in  the  movement  for  himself,  he  also  had 
a  sense  of  the  greatness  his  descendants  would  enjoy 
through  his  efforts,  which  in  turn  places  us  under  a 
very  real  and  personal  obligation  to  him. 

In  the  following  pages  I  have  ventured  to  compile 
this  missing  record,  so  far  as  Yale's  part  is  concerned. 
An  examination,  at  intervals  of  leisure,  of  manuscripts 
and  printed  material  has  been  more  or  less  successful, 
furnishing  at  least  sufficient  facts  for  something  in  the 
way  of  a  memorial.  The  first  part  includes  an  out 
line  of  the  operations  in  each  year  of  the  war,  showing 
the  situation  wherever  graduates  were  present,  and 
in  connection  with  which  some  original  letters  written 
by  them  from  field  and  camp  are  inserted.  In  the 
second  part  will  be  found  the  Roll  of  Honor,  or  list  of 
all  known  to  have  been  engaged  during  the  war,  with 
biographical  sketches  added.  Authorities  and  sources 
of  information  are  indicated  in  foot-notes,  and  in 
an  introductory  note  to  the  second  part.  I  am  under 
obligations  to  librarians  and  others  for  assistance,  but 
especially  to  Prof.  Franklin  B.  Dexter,  Secretary  of 
the  University  and  Professor  of  American  History, 
who  has  favored  me  with  many  data  ;  Dr.  Samuel 


Vlll 


Preface. 


A.  Green,  Librarian  of  the  Massachusetts  Historical 
Society,  Hon.  Charles  J.  Hoadley,  Librarian  of  the 
State  Library,  Hartford,  Conn.,  and  Mr.  William 
Kelby,  of  the  New  York  Historical  Society  Library. 

NEW  YORK  CITY, 

January,  1888. 


CONTENTS. 


I.   Preface  .......        iii 

II.   Distribution  of  the  Alumni  in  1775          .          i 

III.  Events  in  1775-76. 

The  Alarm  at  the  College — Young  Huntington — Chipman's 
Epic  —  Washington  and  the  Students'  Company  —  Noah 
Webster— Graduates  in  the  General  Uprising — Bunker  Hill 
— Letters  from  Chester,  Grosvenor,  Sherman — Dr.  Stiles  in 
Camp — Ticonderoga  and  Quebec — Wooster,  Brown,  Coit, 
Babcock — Boston  Evacuated — Col.  Gay  ....  8 

IV.  Events  in  1776-77. 

The  New  York  Campaign  —  List  of  Alumni  Soldiers  — 
Declaration  of  Independence — Joseph  Hawley — Battle  of 
Long  Island — Colonel  Silliman — Retreat  to  New  York — 
Tallmadge's  Account  of  It — Loss  of  New  York — Nathan 
Hale — Bushnell's  Torpedo — White  Plains — Trenton  and 
Princeton — Letter  from  Capt.  Hull — Hitchcock's  Gallant 
Conduct — Death  of  Graduate  Officers  ....  36 

V.   Events  in  1777-78. 

The  New  Continental  Army — Graduates  in  Its  Ranks — The 
Danbury  Raid  and  Death  of  General  Wooster — Events  in 
Pennsylvania — Battle  of  Germantown — Lieut.  Morris,  Pris 
oner — The  Burgoyne  Campaign — Graduates  Engaged — Let 
ters  from  Gen.  Wolcott  and  Capt.  Seymour — Col.  Brown's 
Exploit — The  Surrender — Washington's  Congratulations — 
Letters  from  Gens.  Scott  and  Silliman  ....  64 

VI.   Events  in  1778-79. 

Valley  Forge  and  Its  Discipline — General  Paterson — Alumni 
in  Camp — Letters  from  Lieuts.  Chipman  and  Selden — Devo 
tion  of  the  Army  to  Washington — The  French  Alliance — 
General  Scott  to  Gates — Battle  of  Monmouth — Camp  at 
ix 


Contents. 


PAGE 

White  Plains — Battle  of  Rhode  Island — Notice  from  the 
College  Steward  .  83 

VII.   Events  in  1779-80. 

Short  Commons  at  College  —  Letters  from  Commis 
sary  Colt — Yale  Loyalists — General  Silliman  and  Judge 
Jones — Storming  of  Stony  Point — Sherman,  Hull,  Selden — 
Invasion  of  New  Haven — Ex-President  Daggett  and  the 
Students — Major  Huntington  Complimented  —  Death  of 
Col.  Russell  ....  ....  94 

VIII.   Events  in  1780-81. 

The  Morristown  Huts — Severe  Winter  of  1780  —  Letters 
from  Major  Huntington,  Commissary  Flint,  and  Others- 
Battle  of  Springfield,  N.  J. — David  Humphreys,  Aid  to 
Washington  —  Letters  from  Gov.  Livingston  and  Gen. 
Paterson— Dr.  Stiles  in  the  French  Camp — Death  of  Col. 
Brown — Major  Tallmadge  and  His  Services — Letter  on 
Andre  —  Humphreys'  Attempt  on  Clinton  —  Lieut.-Col. 
Gray 112 

IX.   Events  in  1781-82. 

Situation  at  the  North — Colonel  Hull's  Affair  at  the  Out 
posts—Lafayette's  Virginia  Expedition — Major  Wyllys — 
Letters  from  Capt.  Welles  and  Others — The  Yorktown  Cam 
paign — Graduate  Officers  at  the  Siege — Humphreys  and  the 
Captured  Flags — Rejoicings — President  Stiles  to  Washing 
ton  129 

X.  Events  in  1782-83. 

Peace  Negotiations — Military  Affairs — Letters  from  Welles, 
Wyllys,  and  Silliman — Tallmadge's  Third  Attempt  on  Long 
Island — The  Major's  Report  and  Washington's  Reply — 
Letters  from  Sill  and  Humphreys — Evacuation  of  New 
York  by  the  Enemy — Disbandment  of  the  Revolutionary 
Army — Letter  from  Hull  .  .  . '  .  .  .  .  141 

XI.   Washington. 

Humphreys'  Visit  to  Mt.  Vernon  in  1786 — Letter  to  His 
Brother— Is  Urged  to  Write  a  History  of  the  Revolution- 
Personal  Items — The  "  Father  of  his  Country  "  at  Home — 
President  Dwight's  Eulogy  on  Washington— An  Estimate  of 
His  Character— Personal  Qualities,  Public  Conduct,  Mili 
tary  Talents,  and  Place  in  History  153 


Contents. 


XI 


XII.   Majors  Wyllys  and  Heart. 

In  the  Regular  Army — Wyllys,  Senior  Major — Stationed  in 
the  Ohio  Country — Recommended  for  a  Colonelcy — Letter 
from  Harmar — First  Indian  War — Harmar's  Defeat,  and 
Death  of  Wyllys — Letters — Heart  Promoted  Major  of  the 
Second  Regiment — St.  Clair's  Defeat  and  Death  of  Heart  . 


XIII.  Roll     of     Honor, 

Sketches    . 

XIV.  Index 


with     Biographical 


163 


177 


DISTRIBUTION   OF   THE 
IN  1775. 


OF  the  nine  hundred  or  more  Yale  graduates 
known  to  have  been  living  in  1775,  much  the  larger 
proportion,  approximately  two  thirds,  resided  in  the 
colony  of  Connecticut,  the  home  of  the  college.  The 
remainder  were  distributed  throughout  Massachusetts, 
Rhode  Island,  New  York,  and  New  Jersey,  with  a 
limited  number  scattered  at  widely  distant  points 
north  and  south. 

In  Connecticut  the  college  exerted  an  appreciable 
influence.  Dr.  Benjamin  Trumbull  recognizes  this 
fact  in  his  history  of  the  colony,  where  he  states  that 
as  early  as  1743  the  alumni  constituted  a  "  numerous 
and  respectable  "  body,  and  adds,  somewhat  flatter 
ingly,  that  not  a  few  had  become  "  pillars"  and  "  stars 
of  distinguished  lustre  "  in  both  church  and  common 
wealth  ;  and  this  may  be  accepted  as  equally  true  in 
1775,  when  the  relative  increase  of  graduates  had 
very  nearly  kept  pace  with  that  of  the  population. 
It  may  be  doubted,  indeed,  whether  at  any  time,  be 
fore  or  since,  the  college  has  filled  so  large  a  place  in 
the  eye  of  the  community  at  home  as  during  the 
period  of  the  Revolution. 


Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

The  crisis  itself  would  partially  explain  this,  so  far 
as  it  called  upon  men  of  acknowledged  ability,  integ 
rity,  and  public  spirit  to  engage  in  the  management 
of  affairs  ;  for  it  happened  that  an  exceptional  num 
ber  of  the  alumni  then  living  throughout  the  principal 
towns  were  citizens  of  this  stamp.  Events  gave  them 
increased  prominence.  But  a  further  explanation 
may  be  sought  in  the  relation  of  the  graduate  to  the 
society  of  the  time,  in  which  the  professions  as  such 
had  not  assumed  their  modern  importance.  While 
the  pulpit,  it  is  true,  was  a  power  in  itself,  neither 
law  nor  medicine  were  the  attractions  then  that 
they  are  to-day.  Apart  from  the  ministers  who 
often  attended  the  sick  in  their  parishes,  com 
paratively  few  graduates  became  physicians,  de 
voting  themselves  exclusively  to  their  calling ;  nor 
were  many  more  lawyers,  or  regularly  entered  "  bar 
risters  at  law"  as  they  were  styled,  as  litigation 
appears  not  to  have  been  as  general  or  lucrative 
as  in  the  period  after  the  Revolution.  College 
men,  accordingly,  more  frequently  then  than  now, 
dropped  into  the  active  life  of  the  community, 
sometimes  combining  business  with  a  profession. 
They  kept  stores,  cultivated  farms,  acted  as  agents, 
owned  ships  and  traded  along  the  coast  and  with 
the  West  Indies.  The  lay  graduate  of  that  day, 
being  less  the  professional  man  than  increasing 
wealth  and  diversity  of  interests  have  enabled  him  to 
become  in  later  times,  engaged  in  every  honorable 
occupation,  and  wherever  he  established  himself  per 
manently  he  exercised  a  certain  neighborhood  in 
fluence,  which,  in  numerous  instances,  is  known  to 


The  Alumni  in  1775.  3 

have  been  neither  slight  nor  transient.  Sometimes 
he  became  the  local  dignitary  as  probate  judge  or 
colonel  of  militia,  again  as  town  clerk  and  justice 
of  the  peace,  or,  perhaps,  more  often  than  not,  he 
was  moderator  of  the  town-meeting,  or  chief  spokes 
man  on  town  affairs.  When,  finally,  the  war  came, 
his  views  and  example  had  weight. 

As  illustrating  the  influence  and  distinction,  ac 
corded  to  the  college  element  in  the  State,  it  may  be 
noticed  that  while  the  honored  governor,  Jonathan 
Trumbull,  was  a  graduate  of  Harvard,  the  house  of 
"  Assistants,"  a  body  of  twelve  eminent  citizens  elected 
at  large,  contained  in  1775  eight  Yale  graduates. 
The  secretary  of  state,  one  of  the  five  superior  court 
judges,  all  the  county  court  and  many  of  the  probate 
judges  were  also  graduates.  So  also  were  several  of 
the  prominent  members  of  the  General  Assembly,  fre 
quently  the  Speaker,  nearly  one  half  the  field  officers 
of  the  militia  for  1774-75,  a  majority  of  the  impor 
tant  State  revolutionary  Council  of  Safety,  and  six  of 
the  twelve  members  who  at  different  times,  from  1 775 
to  1783,  attended  the  Continental  Congress  at  Phila 
delphia.  At  the  beginning  of  the  struggle  graduates 
took  the  lead  in  the  principal  town  and  county  war 
meetings,  in  some  cases  presiding  over  them,  as 
at  New  Haven,  Hartford,  New  London,  Norwich, 
Windham,  and  Lyme,  and  in  other  cases  acting  on 
the  committees  of  correspondence  ;  while  during  the 
progress  of  the  contest  it  is  to  be  remarked  how  fre 
quently  they  figured  on  legislative  committees  charged 
with  the  active  and  responsible  duties  of  the  hour. 

In  Massachusetts,  the  Yale  representation,  was  to 


4  Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

be  found  mainly  in  the  central  and  western  parts  of 
the  State,  in  Hampshire  and  Berkshire  counties,  in 
the  towns  of  Springfield,  Westfield,  Pittsfield,  North 
ampton,  Stockbridge,  Lenox,  and  neighboring  places. 
The  tide  of  emigration,  or  removals,  had  been  setting 
in  that  direction  for  some  years  before  the  Revolution, 
and  graduates,  with  others,  sought  the  advantages  of 
new  localities.  Several  of  the  Ashleys  and  the  Wil- 
liamses  named  in  the  triennial  catalogue  lived  in  that 
section,  as  well  as  Hawley,  Hopkins,  Brown,  Dickin 
son,  Sedgwick,  and  Paterson,  who  will  reappear  in  the 
military  record.  Including  the  few  who  resided  in 
Eastern  Massachusetts  there  were  at  that  time  not 
far  from  one  hundred  and  seventy  of  the  alumni  in 
the  State.  The  great  majority  of  these  were  in  the 
fullest  sympathy  with  the  course  of  events,  and  some, 
like  Joseph  Hawley,  of  whom  further  mention  must 
be  made,  proved  towers  of  strength.  Their  influence 
in  Berkshire  was  not  inconsiderable  if  one  may  judge 
from  the  fact  that  at  the  important  county  convention 
held  in  July,  1774,  for  the  declaration  of  views  on 
the  crisis,  the  chairman,  secretary,  and  three  of  the 
five  members  of  the  committee  to  draft  the  resolu 
tions,  were  graduates.  What  is  more,  they  followed 
up  their  patriotic  expressions  with  active  service  in 
the  field. 

In  Rhode  Island  the  number  of  graduates  at  that 
period  was  small,  probably  not  more  than  twenty, 
three  or  four  of  whom  entered  the  military  service. 
Three  attained  some  distinction  at  home  in  earlier 
years  or  during  the  war  as  deputy-governors,  namely, 
Darius  Sessions,  Paul  Mumford  and  Jabez  Bowen. 


The  Alumni  in  1775.  5 

Of  the  soldiers  two  were  colonels.  The  most  prom 
inent  graduates  there  in  1775  were  Hon.  Joshua 
Babcock,  formerly  Chief-Justice  of  Rhode  Island,  and 
Rev.  Dr.  Ezra  Stiles,  Congregational  pastor  at  New 
port,  who  was  to  become  president  of  Yale  in  1 778. 

In  New  York  we  meet  with  some  names  that  are 
closely  identified  with  the  history  of  the  colony  and 
the  State.  Our  earliest  graduate  here,  and  the 
earliest  lay  graduate  from  any  college,  was  William 
Smith,  of  the  class  of  1719,  who  became  the  first  of 
the  many  distinguished  lawyers  who  have  adorned 
the  bar  of  New  York  City  from  that  day  to  this.  By 
his  contemporaries  he  is  described  as  a  man  of  pro 
found  learning,  unimpeachable  character  and  "  the 
most  eloquent  speaker  in  the  province."  At  the  time 
of  his  death  in  1 769  he  was  one  of  the  judges  of  the 
supreme  court.  That  he  kept  up  a  warm  interest  in 
the  college  would  appear  from  the  statement  made 
by  his  son,  Judge  William  Smith,  of  the  class  of  1745, 
the  historian,  that  it  was  upon  his  recommendation 
that  Philip  Livingston,  the  second  proprietor  of  the 
manor  on  the  Hudson  by  his  name,  was  induced  to 
send  his  sons  to  the  "  Academy "  at  New  Haven. 
These  four  Livingston  brothers,  Peter  Van  Brugh, 
John,  Philip,  and  William,  with  some  others,  continued 
the  succession  of  Yale  graduates  in  the  city  down  to 
the  war.  The  first  three  became  merchants,  the 
last  a  lawyer.  Peter  was  president  and  treasurer 
of  the  first  New  York  Provincial  Congress.  Philip 
and  William  were  sent  as  delegates  to  the  Con 
tinental  Congress.  Philip  signed  the  Declaration 
of  Independence,  and  William,  moving  into  New 


6  Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

Jersey,  became  the  "war  governor"  of  that  State. 
Richard  and  Lewis  Morris,  John  Sloss  Hobart,  and 
Ezra  L'Hommedieu  went  to  Congress  or  became 
judges.  Another  name  is  that  of  John  Morin  Scott, 
an  eminent  advocate,  who  threw  himself  heartily  into 
the  cause.  Chancellor  Kent,  who  was  to  keep  up  the 
college  representation  in  legal  circles  in  New  York 
after  the  war,  speaks  of  him  as  "  one  of  that  band  of 
deep-read  and  thorough  lawyers  of  the  old  school,  who 
were  an  ornament  to  the  city  at  the  commencement 
of  the  Revolution."  In  all  there  were  about  seventy 
graduates  in  the  State  in  1775,  most  of  whom  lived  in 
the  city  or  on  Long  Island.  As  a  body  they  suffered 
from  the  war  more  than  any  others.  Philip  Living 
ston,  Lewis  Morris,  and  Scott,  were  nearly  ruined— 
their  fine  mansions  and  estates,  in  or  near  the  city, 
being  confiscated  and  despoiled  by  the  enemy.  The 
house  of  Dr.  John  A.  Graham,  class  of  1768,  was 
burned  by  the  British  after  the  battle  at  White  Plains. 
Some  were  fugitives  from  their  homes  during  the 
entire  contest ;  and  some  were  Tories  who  will  be 
briefly  noticed  in  the  operations  of  1779. 

In  New  Jersey  we  had  about  twenty  graduates, 
several  of  whom  were  settled  pastors.  Three  or  four 
of  the  younger  alumni  were  prospecting  in  Wyoming 
Valley,  Westmoreland  County,  Penn.,  which  Con 
necticut  then  claimed  as  her  territory.  Others  were 
to  be  found  in  the  tracts  which  afterwards  became 
the  States  of  New  Hampshire  and  Vermont.  Lyman 
Hall,  the  "  Signer,"  had  made  his  home  in  Liberty 
County,  Georgia.  Very  few,  if  any,  were  then  living  in 
either  Delaware,  Maryland,  Virginia,  or  the  Carolinas. 


The  Alumni  in  1775.  i 

The  college  in  1775  numbered  one  hundred  and 
sixty-four  students,  who  graduated  with  their  respec 
tive  classes.  Rev.  Dr.  Naphtali  Daggett  was  Presi 
dent  and  Professor  of  Divinity  ;  Rev.  Nehemiah 
Strong,  Professor  of  Mathematics  and  Natural  Phi 
losophy.  Timothy  Dwight,  Joseph  Buckminster, 
Abraham  Baldwin,  and  John  Lewis  were  Tutors,  the 
first  three  of  whom  subsequently  became  chaplains 
in  the  army.  Three  buildings  were  then  standing  on 
the  grounds,  two  of  which  remain  to-day — old 
South  Middle  and  the  Athenaeum,  which  served  both 
as  a  chapel  and  a  library. 

These  graduates  and  students,  we  may  repeat,  were 
typical  colonists.  Barring  the  few  who  were  either 
avowed  loyalists  or  assumed  a  neutral  attitude  where 
they  could,  they  belonged  to  the  class  which  formed 
the  soul  of  the  Revolution.  Most  of  them  doubtless 
felt  with  Dr.  Stiles  in  July,  1 774,  that :  "  If  oppression 
proceeds,  despotism  may  force  an  annual  Congress ; 
and  a  public  spirit  of  enterprise  may  originate  an 
American  Magna  Charta  and  Bill  of  Rights,  supported 
by  such  intrepid  and  persevering  importunity  as  even 
sovereignty  may  hereafter  judge  it  not  wise  to  with 
stand.  THERE  WILL  BE  A  RUNNYMEDE  IN  AMERICA." 


EVENTS  IN   1775-76. 

The  Alarm  at  the  College — Young  Huntington — Chipman's  Epic — Washington 
and  the  Students'  Company — Noah  Webster — Graduates  in  the  General 
Uprising — Bunker  Hill — Letters  from  Chester,  Grosvenor,  Sherman — 
Dr.  Stiles  in  Camp — Ticonderoga  and  Quebec — Wooster,  Brown,  Coit, 
Babcock — Boston  Evacuated — Col.  Gay. 

TURNING  first  to  the  college,  when  the  war  opened, 
we  are  quite  prepared  to  find  that  little  community 
as  deeply  agitated  as  any  other,  and  responding  as 
quickly  to  the  popular  sympathies.  There  is  this 
reference  to  the  situation  in  the  journal  of  one  of  the 
students,  which  expresses  much : 

"  Friday.  April  21, .  To-day  tidings  of  the  battle  of  Lex 
ington,  which  is  the  first  engagement  with  the  British  troops,  ar 
rived  at  New  Haven.  This  filled  the  country  with  alarm  and 
rendered  it  impossible  for  us  to  pursue  our  studies  to  any  profit." 

The  student  was  Ebenezer  Fitch,  of  the  Sophomore 
class,  who  was  to  become  the  first  president  of  Wil 
liams  College.  It  is  fortunate  for  our  purposes  that 
his  journal  has  been  preserved,  as  the  extract  quoted 
appears  to  be,  with  an  item  in  the  diary  of  President 
Stiles,  the  only  contemporary  record  we  have  of  the 
effect  produced  by  the  Lexington  news  at  Yale.  And 
startling  news  it  was,  no  doubt.  One  may  readily 
picture  the  scene  of  excitement  around  the  old  halls 
that  evening  as  the  students  and  townsmen  alike 
dwelt  upon  the  details  of  the  encounter  and  can 
vassed  the  probability  of  having  a  war  at  their  very 

8 


Events  in  1775-76.  9 

doors.  What  shows  that  they  were  all  profoundly 
moved,  is  the  fact  that  on  the  next  day  class  exercises 
were  suspended  and  college  "  broke  up."  The  stu 
dious  Fitch  himself  could  not  keep  to  his  books,  but 
went  home  to  Canterbury,  and  soon  after  visited  the 
camps  then  forming  around  Boston.  It  was  not 
until  June  ist  that  he  returned  to  college.1  So  too, 
Ezra  Stiles,  of  the  same  class,  surprised  his  father  at 
Newport,  by  arriving  on  the  26th  with  word  that 
the  students  were  dispersing.2  Clearly,  with  drums 
beating,  rumors  flying,  and  serious  speculation  going 
on  over  the  consequences  of  a  general  conflict  with 
the  mother  country,  there  could  be  little  attentive 
studying  for  a  time.  It  was  something  more  than  an 
ephemeral  excitement  or  interruption.  Three  or  four 
of  the  students,  as  tradition  goes,  closed  their  studies 
at  once  and  fell  into  the  line  of  volunteers  marching 
northward.  It  is  certain  that  Ebenezer  Huntington 
of  the  Senior  class  was  one.  His  father,  the  Hon. 
Jabez  Huntington,  of  the  class  of  1741,  then  a  mem 
ber  of  the  Upper  House  of  Connecticut,  and  his  elder 
brother,  Jedidiah,  graduate  of  Harvard,  and  after 
wards  general  in  the  Continental  army,  had  both 
stepped  forward  unhesitatingly  in  the  earlier  stages  of 
the  crisis,  which  may  go  to  explain  young  Ebenezer's 
enthusiasm.  The  tradition  in  his  case,  sufficiently 
supported  by  the  record,  is  to  the  effect  that  failing 
to  obtain  permission  from  the  college  authorities  to 


the  diary  in  "Sketch  of  the  late  Rev.  Ebenezer  Fitch,  D.D.,"  by 
Rev.  Calvin  Durfee,  Boston,  1865. 

2  Dr.  Stiles,  in  his  diary  for  April  26,  1775,  Newport  :  "About  sunset 
Ezra  arrived  from  Yale  College,  which  broke  up  last  Saturday.  The  news  of 
Lexington  reached  New  Haven  on  Friday  night." 


IO 


Yale  in  the  Revolution. 


leave  immediately,  he  decamped  that  Friday  night 
with  some  of  his  companions,  went  to  Wethersfield, 
and  then  pushed  on  to  the  front  at  Boston,  where  he 
found  his  brother  before  him.  His  own  home  was  at 
Norwich,  but  at  Wethersfield  lived  his  brother-in-law, 
John  Chester,  class  of  1766,  captain  of  an  alarm  com 
pany,  and  of  whom  we  shall  presently  hear  again, 
which  would  account  for  his  hurrying  directly  to 
that  town.  While  the  faculty  were  evidently  dis 
pleased  at  this  breach  of  discipline,  they  could  not 
but  have  quietly  admired  his  prompt  decision  in  the 
case,  especially  when  we  recall  that  the  patriotic 
Daggett  was  then  president,  and  at  the  graduation  of 
his  class  they  gave  him  his  diploma  ;  so  that  Hunt- 
ington's  name  appears  both  upon  the  college  catalogue 
and  upon  the  roster  of  those  officers  who  served  un 
interruptedly  and  with  honor  from  the  beginning  to 
the  close  of  the  war. 

The  names  of  the  other  irrepressible  students,  who 
are  said  to  have  been  Huntington's  companions  in 
his  flight,  do  not  appear.  That  class  of  '75  furnished 
some  fine  young  officers  for  the  army,  several  of 
whom  began  their  service  on  graduation.  Belden, 
Bushnell,  Daggett,  Judson,  Mix,  Morris,  Peck,  Sill, 
and  Welles  became  old  campaigners,  and  it  is  possi 
ble  that  one  or  more  of  them  left  with  Huntington 
in  April,  and  then  returned  to  graduate  in  regular 
course.  Daniel  Lyman,  of  the  Junior  class,  may 
also  have  been  among  the  number,  as,  according  to 
recollections  in  his  family,  he  joined  the  expedition 
against  Ticonderoga,  in  May,  and  was  engaged  in  the 
surprise  of  that  important  fortress.  But  in  those  first 


Events  in  1775-76.  n 

days  of  alarm  and  muster  we  will  remember  all  the 
students—  the  great  body  of  them,  certainly  —  as 
spirited  and  true,  without  distinction.  If  preference 
is  to  be  given  to  any  one  of  them,  as  being  bolder 
than  the  rest,  it  should  be  perhaps  to  the  Sophomore, 
Nathaniel  Chipman,  Vermont's  future  Chief-Justice, 
who  dared  to  fan  the  flame  of  resistance  by  writing 
some  martial  poetry,  and  publishing  it  in  the  town 
newspaper.  An  extract  from  it  must  have  a  place 
here  : 

"  America,  where  freedom  held  her  reign, 
Now  first  is  doomed  to  wear  the  galling  chain.  ^^ 
Oppressed,  she  groans  beneath  a  lawless  powe^'  " 
And  quakes  to  hear  the  gathering  tempest  nwliy  4Y  7 
Rise  !  sons  of  freedom  !  close  the  glorious  fig^-* 
Stand  for  religion,  for  your  country's  right. 
Resist  the  tyrant,  disappoint  his  hopes, 
Fear  not  his  navies,  or  his  veteran  troops. 
Think  on  those  heroes  who  resigned  their  breath 
To  tools  of  tyrants,  ministers  of  death, 
Who  firm,  the  rage  of  tyranny  withstood, 
And  seal'd  the  cause  of  liberty  with  blood. 
Let  their  example  patriot  zeal  inspire, 
And  every  breast  with  martial  ardor  fire. 
O  Heaven  !  be  gracious  ;  save  our  sinking  land, 

Crush  our  proud  foes  with  thine  avenging  hand."  : 

i 

By  the  first  of  June,  the  students  had  generally  re 
turned  to  the  college,  their  war  spirit  evidently  still 
high.  One  of  their  number,  Abiathar  Camp,  show 
ing  Tory  proclivities,  was  made  the  subject  of  a  class 
meeting,  and  denounced  as  an  "  enemy  to  his  coun 
try,"  which  meant  that  all  social  intercourse  with  him 
was  to  be  withheld.  Meantime  many  of  them  fell  to 


"Life  of  Hon.  Nathaniel  Chipman,  LL.D.,"  Boston,  1846. 


12 


Yale  in  the  Revolution. 


drilling.  A  company  was  organized,  either  then  or 
at  an  earlier  date,  which  soon  attracted  attention  by 
its  military  bearing.  Who  the  members  or  who  the 
officers  were  we  do  not  know,  but  either  among  the 
drummers  or  fifers  one  would  have  seen,  upon  his 
own  statement,  a  Freshman  by  the  name  of  Noah 
Webster.  Stout  young  Whigs,  as  nearly  all  these 
collegians  we're,  and  not  a  few  of  them  the  sons  of 
public  leaders  in  the  colony,  they  seem  to  have  an 
ticipated  a  protracted  struggle  and  the  necessity  of 
their  own  participation  in  it  at  no  distant  day.  It 
requires  no  effort  of  the  imagination  to  picture  them, 
dressed  in  the  long  coat  of  the  period,  knee  breeches, 
and  cocked  hats,  and  armed  with  weighty  flint-lock 
muskets,  marching  up  and  down  the  campus  with  the 
air  of  veterans  and  a  buoyant  confidence  that  they 
could  at  least  defend  that  favored  spot  against  the 
king's  minions. 

One  event  soon  occurred  which  must  have  been 
long  remembered,  and  perhaps  settled  the  course  of 
some  of  the  graduating  class  who  may  have  wavered 
as  to  their  duty  to  join  the  army.  This  was  Wash 
ington's  presence  in  the  town,  June  28th,  for  the  first 
time  as  the  American  Commander-in-Chief,  when  the 
college  company  and  the  two  local  companies  turned 
out  to  do  him  the  honors  of  the  occasion.  The  New 
Haven  journal  of  the  day,  noticing  the  troops  and  the 
throng  of  people  who  were  out,  mentions  in  particu 
lar  "  a  company  of  young  gentlemen  belonging  to  the 
seminary  in  this  place,  who  made  a  handsome  appear 
ance,  and  whose  expertness  in  the  military  exercises 
gained  them  the  approbation  of  the  generals  "  ;  but  a 


Events  in  1775-76.  13 

more  satisfactory  account  is  the  following,  which 
Noah  Webster  himself  gave  some  years  later  in  an 
address  before  a  gathering  of  young  people  : 

"In  the  year  1775  General  Washington  passed  through  New 
Haven  on  his  way  to  Cambridge  in  Massachusetts,  to  take  com 
mand  of  the  American  army.  He  was  accompanied  by  General 
Charles  Lee,  who  had  been  an  officer  in  the  British  service. 
These  gentlemen  lodged  in  New  Haven  at  the  house  of  the  late 
Isaac  Beers,  and  in  the  morning  they  were  invited  to  see  a  mili 
tary  company  of  students  of  Yale  College  perform  their  manual 
exercises.  They  expressed  their  surprise  and  gratification  at  the 
precision  with  which  the  students  performed  the  customary  exer 
cises  then  in  use.  This  company  then  escorted  the  generals  as 
far  as  Neck  Bridge  ;  and  this  was  the  first  instance  of  that  honor 
conferred  on  General  Washington  in  New  England.  It  fell  to  my 
humble  lot  to  lead  this  company  with  music.  I  was  then  a  Fresh 
man  in  Yale  College."  > 

The  day's  incidents  proved  a  pleasant  reminiscence 
for  both  town  and  college,  and  doubtless  for  Wash 
ington,  but  the  impression  upon  his  memory  would 
have  been  more  vivid  could  he  have  then  known  that 
of  the  youthful  students  whom  he  saw  that  morning, 
more  than  forty  were,  sooner  or  later,  to  join  his  Con 
tinentals,  and  most  of  them  pass  with  him  through  all 
the  varied  experiences  of  the  war. 

Of  the  college  company  we  hear  occasionally  after 
this.  At  a  New  Haven  town  meeting,  held  Novem 
ber  5,  1775,  it  was  voted  "  That  the  Governor  be  de 
sired  to  permit  one  hundred  stands  of  arms  to  be 
lodged  in  the  library  for  the  use  of  a  company  in 
Yale  College"  ;  and  again,  "  That  should  a  company 
in  college  be  formed  and  accoutred,  they  draw  half  a 

1  From  the  original  MSS.  in  possession  of  Paul  L.  Ford,  Brooklyn,  L.  I. 
The  Beers'  house  stood  on  the  site  of  the  present  New  Haven  House. 


14  Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

pound  of  powder  to  each  man."  This  action  would 
indicate  that  the  company  which  Washington  re 
viewed  had  broken  up  in  the  fall,  owing  probably  to 
the  graduation  of  the  class  of  1775  ;  but  as  New 
Haven  was  an  exposed  place,  some  sort  of  an  organi 
zation  was  kept  up,  and  in  1779  the  students  will  be 
heard  from  again. 

Beyond  the  college,  there  was  the  general  uprising. 
The  Lexington  alarm  prompted  a  spontaneous  march 
of  trainbands  and  volunteers  from  all  points  to  the 
help  of  the  Massachusetts  people.  "  Our  neighbor 
ing  towns,"  writes  some  one,  "  are  arming  and  mov 
ing.  Men  of  the  first  character  and  property  shoulder 
their  arms  and  march  off  for  the  field  of  action." 
College  graduates  were  among  them,  and  in  respecta 
ble  numbers, — the  number  increasing  during  the  sum 
mer  and  fall  as  war  became  an  accepted  fact.  Of 
the  Yale  alumni,  John  Paterson,  class  of  1762,  was 
very  early  at  the  front.  He  lived  at  Lenox,  Mass., 
was  a  member  of  the  provincial  Congress,  then  tem 
porarily  adjourned,  and  commanded  a  regiment  of 
Berkshire  County  militia.  The  alarm  reached  Lenox 
on  the  evening  of  the  2Oth,  and  early  the  next  morn 
ing  the  regiment  was  on  the  march.  It  took  post 
about  a  mile  and  a  half  beyond  Cambridge,  and 
threw  up  one  of  the  first  redoubts  on  the  line  which 
was  to  turn  Boston  into  a  besieged  town.  Moses 
Ashley,  class  of  1 767,  was  an  ensign  in  the  same  regi 
ment  ;  and  Rev.  David  Avery,  class  of  1 769,  chap 
lain.  Another  militia  regiment  of  Worcester  and 
Hampshire  County  men,  stationed  at  Roxbury,  was 
commanded  by  Col.  Timothy  Danielson,  of  the  class 


Events  in  1775-6.  15 

of  1756.  When  the  alarm  reached  Wethersfield, 
Conn.,  John  Chester,  class  of  1766,  already  men 
tioned,  started  off  at  the  head  of  a  fine  company  of 
one  hundred  young  men,  equipped  by  the  town  with 
twenty  days'  provision  and  sixty-four  rounds  of  am 
munition  each.  From  New  Haven,  Jesse  Leaven- 
worth,  class  of  1759,  went  as  lieutenant  of  volunteers, 
under  Benedict  Arnold.  Jabez  Hamlin,  class  of  1769, 
was  ensign  of  Captain  Meigs'  Middletown  train-band. 
Isaac  Sherman,  class  of  1770,  son  of  Roger  Sherman, 
the  "Signer,"  commanded  a  Massachusetts  company. 
Ebenezer  Moseley,  class  of  1763,  led  a  company 
formed  of  "the  Gentlemen  Inhabitants  of  Canada 
Society,  in  Windham  County,  Conn.,  to  the  number 
of  sixty  able-bodied,  effective  men,"  who  engaged 
"  immediately  to  equip  themselves  with  arms  and  war 
like  stores,  and  be  in  readiness  to  march  against  and 
oppose  any  enemy  that  may  attempt  the  destruction 
of  our  lawful  rights." 

Presently,  as  better  organization  became  necessary, 
we  get  more  complete  records  and  more  names. 
Connecticut  raised  several  regiments  to  serve  for  the 
year  at  different  points.  David  Wooster,  of  the  class 
of  1738,  a  name  closely  associated  with  New  Haven 
in  Wooster  Street  and  Wooster  Square,  and  more 
closely  associated  with  the  names  of  revolutionary 
heroes  in  his  brave  death  in  1777,  was  made  a  general 
of  militia  with  a  regiment  also  under  his  personal 
command.  During  the  summer  of  1775  he  was 
posted  at  and  near  New  York,  where  upon  his  arrival 
he  was  entertained  by  the  City  Military  Club  with  a 
public  dinner.  In  June  Congress  made  him  a  Con- 


1 6  Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

tinental  brigadier,  and  in  September  he  joined  the 
Northern  Department,  where  he  had  served  in  the 
French  and  Indian  War.  Among  graduates  in  his 
command  were  Lieut.  Jesse  Leavenworth,  who  had 
returned  from  Massachusetts,  Lieut.  Robert  Walker, 
James  Lockwood,  Chaplains  Cotton  Mather  Smith 
and  Benjamin  Trumbull,  and  Surgeons  Jared  Potter 
and  Samuel  Whiting.  The  greater  part  of  the  Con 
necticut  troops,  however,  were  sent  to  the  Boston 
lines,  where  before  the  close  of  the  siege  in  March, 
1776,  there  might  have  been  found,  in  addition  to 
the  officers  already  mentioned,  such  others  as  Colonel 
Samuel  Wyllys  ;  Lieut.-Colonels  Experience  Storrs 
and  Fisher  Gay;  Brigade-Major  John  Palsgrave 
Wyllys;  Captains  William  Coit,  William  Hull, 
Nathan  Hale,  the  "  Martyr  Spy,"  Ebenezer  Craft,  and 
Theophilus  Munson  ;  Lieutenants  Thomas  Grosvenor, 
Andrew  Hillyer,  Richard  Sill,  Ebenezer  Huntington, 
Simeon  Newell,  Ebenezer  Gray,  William  Peck,  John 
Elderkin,  Enoch  and  Joshua  Lamb  Woodbridge  ;  En 
signs  Jonathan  Heart  and  Ezra  Selden  ;  Chaplains 
John  Cleaveland,  Benjamin  Boardman,  Stephen  John 
son,  Oliver  Noble,  and  William  Plumbe  ;  and  Surgeon 
Josiah  Hart.  Three  graduates  from  Rhode  Island 
were  Colonels  Daniel  Hitchcock  and  Henry  Babcock, 
and  Lieut.-Colonel  James  Babcock.  This  list  is  neces 
sarily  incomplete,  as  the  rolls  of  several  regiments 
and  companies  which  encamped  around  Boston  at  dif 
ferent  times  during  the  siege  do  not  exist ;  but  there 
cannot  be  many  names  missing.  The  college  may  be 
said  to  have  been  represented  by  fifty-five  or  more 
graduates  at  Boston  and  other  points  in  the  opera 
tions  of  the  year  1775. 


Events  in  1775-76.  17 

After  Lexington,  the  signal  events  of  the  year  were 
the  capture  of  Ticonderoga,  the  battle  of  Bunker 
Hill,  and  the  attempt  upon  Quebec.  Bunker  Hill 
claims  attention  first  as  the  natural  conclusion  of 
Lexington.  It  was  towards  Boston  that  the  New 
England  provincials  hurried  to  prevent  the  repetition 
of  incursions,  and  they  hemmed  the  British  in  by 
blockading  the  highways  and  fortifying  the  country 
around.  On  the  night  of  June  i6th,  Putnam  and 
Prescott  pushed  matters  to  an  issue  by  fortifying  the 
hill  above  Charlestown,  and  on  the  following  day, 
the  1 7th,  occurred  the  historic  battle.  The  American 
line  of  defence  consisted  of  a  redoubt  on  the  hill, 
with  breastworks,  barricades,  and  a  post-and-rail 
fence  on  the  left. 

Six  or  more  of  our  graduates  took  part  in  this  bat 
tle,  all  of  them  belonging  to  the  Connecticut  detach 
ment,  which  is  credited  with  particularly  good  con 
duct  on  that  day.  They  were  Captains  John  Ches 
ter,  William  Coit,  and  Ebenezer  Mosely,  Lieutenants 
Thomas  Grosvenor  and  (probably)  Ebenezer  Gray, 
and  Jonathan  Heart,  whom  tradition  puts  there  as  a 
private  soldier.  Their  position  was  at  the  breastwork 
and  rail-fence,  where,  as  all  accounts  agree,  a  stout 
resistance  was  made.  It  was  a  good  test  of  their 
resolution  and  their  nerves — to  face  the  disciplined 
redcoats  as  they  moved  up  the  hill  in  deep  lines,— 
and  all  the  provincials  concerned  were  justly  praised 
for  fighting  so  well  before  retreating.  Lieutenant 
Grosvenor  was  slightly  wounded  and  lost  about  one 
third  of  his  soldiers.  Captain  Coit,  whose  company 
was  composed  largely  of  New  London  sailors,  is 


1 8  Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

described  as  being  in  "  stature  and  intrepidity,"  next 
to  McClary,  the  herculean  major  of  Stark's  New 
Hampshire  men,  who  was  killed  in  the  action.  Cap 
tain  Chester  and  his  company  did  not  reach  the  hill 
till  late,  but  they  went  into  the  fight  at  once  and  took 
their  places  behind  the  fence,  where  every  man,  as 
Chester  says,  loaded  and  fired  as  fast  as  he  could. 
The  hill  and  the  earthworks  fell  to  the  enemy,  but  the 
battle  belonged  to  the  provincials.  It  was  also  a 
valuable  experience  for  our  soldiers,  and  we  shall 
hear  from  them  all  again.  Grosvenor,  Gray,  and 
Heart,  for  instance,  fought  through  the  war  and  rose 
to  the  rank  of  field-officers. 

There  was  much  to  be  done  after  the  battle  to 
secure  the  retreat  and  prevent  the  enemy  from  pursu 
ing  beyond  Charlestown  Neck  into  the  open  country. 
Lieut-Colonel  Storrs,  of  Putnam's  regiment,  was  up 
nearly  all  night  with  his  men  working  on  a  redoubt 
to  command  the  Neck  road.  Colonel  Paterson's 
regiment  with  others  stood  under  arms  to  defend 
Cambridge.  All  were  alert  ;  but  the  enemy  had 
suffered  too  heavily  to  make  any  further  demonstra 
tion.  Then  came  letters,  accounts,  and  affidavits 
respecting  the  battle,  many  of  which  long  since  found 
their  way  into  print,  but  they  have  their  interest,  and 
for  the  present  record  some  things  the  graduates  said 
will  bear  repeating.  Chester's  letter  for  one,  fresh 
from  the  scene,  dated  Camp  at  Cambridge,  July  22, 
1775,  is  as  follows,  the  last  part  unfortunately  lost: 

.  .  .  Just  after  dinner,  on  Saturday,  lyth  ult,  I  was 
walking  out  from  my  lodgings,  quite  calm  and  composed,  and  all 
at  once  the  drums  beat  to  arms,  and  bells  rang,  and  a  great 


Events  in  1775-76.  19 

noise  in  Cambridge.  Capt.  Putnam  came  by  on  full  gallop. 
What  is  the  matter  ?  says  I.  Have  you  not  heard  ?  No.  Why, 
the  regulars  are  landing  at  Charlestown,  says  he  ;  and  father 
[Gen.  Putnam]  says  you  must  all  meet,  and  march  immediately  to 
Bunker  Hill  to  oppose  the  enemy.  I  waited  not,  but  ran,  and 
got  my  arms  and  ammunition,  and  hasted  to  my  company  (who 
were  in  the  church  for  barracks),  and  found  them  nearly  ready 
to  march.  We  soon  marched,  with  our  frocks  and  trousers 
on  over  our  other  clothes  (for  our  company  is  in  uniform  wholly 
blue,  turned  up  with  red),  for  we  were  loath  to  expose  ourselves 
by  our  dress  ;  and  down  we  marched.  I  imagined  we  arrived  at 

the  hill  near  the  close  of  the  battle We  were  very 

soon  in  the  heat  of  action.  Before  we  reached  the  summit  of 
Bunker  Hill,  and  while  we  were  going  over  the  Neck,  we  were  in 
imminent  danger  from  the  cannon  shot,  which  buzzed  around  us 
like  hail.  The  musquetry  began  before  we  passed  the  Neck,  and 
when  we  were  on  the  top  of  the  hill  and  during  our  descent  to  the 
foot  of  it  on  the  south,  the  small  as  well  as  cannon  shot  were  in 
cessantly  whistling  by  us.  We  joined  our  army  on  the  right 
of  the  centre,  just  by  a  poor  stone  fence,  two  or  three  feet  high, 
and  very  thin,  so  that  the  bullets  came  through.  Here  we  lost 
our  regularity,  as  every  company  had  done  before  us,  and  fought 
as  they  did,  every  man  loading  and  firing  as  fast  as  he  could.  As 
near  as  I  could  guess  we  fought  standing  about  six  minutes."  : 

Grosvenor  describes  what  he  saw  of  the  fight  as 
follows  : 

"  Our  detachment,  in  advancing  to  the  post,  took  up  one  rail- 
fence  and  placed  it  against  another  (as  a  partial  cover),  nearly 
parallel  with  the  line  of  the  breast-work,  and  extended  our  left 
nearly  to  Mystic-river.  Each  man  was  furnished  with  one  pound 
of  gunpowder  and  forty-eight  balls.  ...  In  this  position 
our  detachment  remained,  until  a  second  Division  of  British 

1  From  Frothingham's  "Siege  of  Boston."  Chester's  lieutenant,  Samuel 
B.  Webb,  of  Wethersfield,  afterwards  aid  to  Washington  and  colonel  in  the 
Continental  army,  wrote  about  the  same  time  :  "  For  my  part,  I  confess,  when 
I  was  descending  into  the  valley,  from  off  Bunker  Hill,  side  by  side  of  Captain 
Chester,  at  the  head  of  our  company,  I  had  no  more  thought  of  ever  rising  the 
hill  again  than  I  had  of  ascending  to  Heaven,  as  Elijah  did,  soul  and  body  to 
gether." 


2O 


Yale  in  the  Revolution. 


troops  landed,  when  they  commenced  a  fire  of  their  field-artillery 
of  several  rounds,  and  particularly  against  the  rail-fence  ;  then 
formed  in  columns,  advanced  to  the  attack,  displayed  in  line  at 
about  the  distance  of  musket-shot,  and  commenced  firing.  At 
this  instant,  our  whole  line  opened  upon  the  enemy ;  and  so  pre 
cise  and  fatal  was  our  fire,  that  in  the  course  of  a  short  time,  they 
gave  way  and  retired  in  disorder  out  of  musket  shot,  leaving  be 
fore  us  many  killed  and  wounded.  There  was  but  a  short  respite 
on  the  part  of  the  British,  as  their  lines  were  soon  filled  up  and 
led  against  us,  when  they  were  met  as  before,  and  forced  back 
with  great  loss.  On  reinforcements  joining  the  enemy,  they 
made  a  direct  advance  on  the  redoubt ;  and  being  successful, 
which  our  brave  Captain  Knowlton  perceiving,  ordered  a  retreat 
of  his  men,  in  which  he  was  sustained  by  two  companies  under 
the  command  of  Captains  Clark  and  Chester.  The  loss  in  our 
detachment,  I  presume,  was  nearly  equal.  Of  my  own  immedi 
ate  command  of  thirty  men  and  one  subaltern,  there  were  eleven 
killed  and  wounded ;  among  the  latter  was  myself,  though  not  so 
severely  as  to  prevent  my  retiring."  1 

Lieut. -Colonel  Storrs  had  been  on  the  hill  early  in 
the  day,  but  returned  to  the  command  of  that  part  of 
Putnam's  regiment  still  in  camp.  On  the  landing  of 
the  regulars  at  Charlestown,  he  was  ordered  to  one  of 
the  forts  near  Cambridge.  In  his  brief  diary,  still 
preserved,  he  goes  on  to  say,  on  the  1 7th  : 

.  .  .  No  enemy  appearing — orders  soon  came  that  our 
People  at  the  Intrenchment  were  retreating  and  for  us  to  secure 
ye  retreat.  Immediately  marched  for  their  relief.  The  Regulars 
did  not  come  off  from  Bunker's  Hill  but  have  taken  possession 
of  the  Intrenchments  and  our  People  make  a  Stand  on  Winter 
Hill  and  we  immediately  went  to  entrenching.  Flung  up  by 
morning  an  entrenchment  about  100  feet  square.  Done  princi 
pally  by  our  Regiment  under  Putnam's  direction.  Had  but  little 
sleep  the  night.  .  .  .  The  action  was  rather  precipitate — the 
entrenchment  exposed  to  the  fire  of  all  ye  ships  and  in  a  place 

1  From  the  Portfolio,  March,  1818. 


Events  in  1775-76.  21 

where  the  enemy  landed  their  men  under  ye  cover  of  the  cannon 
from  the  ships,  and  the  Post  not  sufficiently  guarded.  They 
forced  the  entrenchment  without  much  difficulty. 

"  26th.  We  hear  a  Chief  Officer  is  appointed — a  Gen1  Washington 
of  Virginia  to  supercede  in  the  command  of  ye  Troops  here." 

Bunker  Hill  was  followed  by  the  siege  of  Boston, 
which  dragged  on  into  the  following  March.  During 
the  fall  and  winter  the  soldiers  received  visits  from 
their  friends,  and  good  things  from  home.  In  fact, 
they  were  too  near  their  homes,  and  many  stole  away 
for  a  few  days,  or  left  altogether,  much  to  the  disgust 
of  officers  who  were  trying  to  enforce  discipline. 
Chester  speaks  of  this  in  one  of  his  letters  :  "  The 
country,"  he  says,  "must  support  his  Excellency  and 
the  army  in  this  matter,  and  exert  themselves  in  de 
tecting  and  bringing  to  punishment  all  offenders.  If 
a  firm  stand  is  not  now  made,  we  shall  never  have  an 
army  worth  a  fig."  At  the  same  time  he  was  not 
averse  to  comforts  himself,  and  on  August  28th  writes, 
to  our  amusement :  "  I  cannot  yet  live  to  my  mind. 
Our  provision  is  not  a  fifth  part  so  good  as  when 
we  lived  from  our  own  colony  store.  I  care  not  how 
much  of  a  Continental  war  it  is,  but  I  pray  for  Con 
necticut  provisions.  .  .  .  Half  the  time  no  sauce, 
no  milk.  .  .  .  The  Congress  allow  no  butter, 
chocolate,  or  coffe,  or  sugar,  which  our  colony  al 
lowed  us."  The  pork,  "thin,  poor,  flashy  stuff." 

"  I  '11  tell  you,"  Chester  goes  on  to  say,  "  how  I  intend  to  work 
the  matter  to  Live  Better.  Brother  Jed.  Huntington,  the  Colonel, 
is  stationed  very  near  our  Regiment.  Jno.  Trumbull  is  lately 
made  Major  of  our  Brigade,  &  is  back  again  with  us  at  Roxbury. 

1  A  portion  of  the  diary  of  Colonel  Storrs,  some  letters  from  Captain  Chester, 
and  Colonel  Gay's  brief  journal  were  published  by  the  writer  in  the  Magazine 
of  American  History,  vol.  for  1882.  Further  extracts  are  given. 


22  Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

Stephen  Thayer  is  sutler  for  Huntington's  Reg1.  Park,  a  young 
Gentleman  from  Philadelphia,  is  Deputy  Quar  Masr  under 
Mifflin,  who  is  Qr  Mr  or  Barrack  Master  Gen1.  As  Mifflin  is  at 
Cambridge,  Mr.  Park  is  on  our  wing  of  the  army.  We  five 
propose  to  hire  a  Room,  Kitchen,  and  Chamber  in  a  House  at 
the  foot  of  the  Hill  where  we  are  encampd,  and  hire  a  woman 
to  wash  and  cook  for  us.  My  Lieut,  will  be  allowed  to  join  us, 
if  he  is  a  clever  fellow  ;  &  if  he  is  not  so  he  shall  not  be  in  our 
company.  Here  we  intend  to  Live  Genteely  with  our  waiters, 
and  Lodge  in  Tents."  ' 

Chester  was  a  good  soldier — not  the  first  one  to 
believe  in  camp  luxuries — and  his  new  lieutenant, 
who  joined  the  mess,  was  to  become  another  in  the 
person  of  Ebenezer  Huntington.  The  latter  had 
served  as  a  volunteer  up  to  September,  when  he  was 
regularly  appointed  in  Chester's  company. 

The  Boston  encampment  was  a  novelty  for  New 
England,  and  many  persons  visited  it,  some  from 
curiosity,  others  on  business.  Among  the  number 
was  one  of  our  oldest  graduates,  and  the  oldest  who 
was  actively  concerned  in  war  preparations — the 
Hon.  Joshua  Babcock,  class  of  1724,  of  Westerly,  R.  I. 
He  was  introduced  to  Washington  by  letter  from 
Gov.  Cooke,  of  that  State,  as  a  gentleman  who  had 
"  highly  distinguished  himself  in  the  glorious  cause  in 
which  America  is  embarked."  Another  was  Rev.  Dr. 
Stiles,  than  whom  there  was  no  warmer  supporter  of 
the  revolutionary  movement,  and  the  full  diary  he  kept 
of  the  events  of  the  war,  now  preserved  in  the  Library, 
shows  how  constant  his  interest  remained  throughout. 
An  extract  from  this  diary,  giving  an  account  of  his  visit 
to  camp,  comes  in  place  here.  Under  date  of  Septem 
ber  n,  1775,  upon  his  return  to  Newport,  he  writes  : 

1  Chester  to  Mr   Burrall,  August  28,  1775.     From  the  original,  in  possession 
of  the  late  Rev.  Dr.  John  Chester,  Washington,  D.  C. 


Events  in  1775-76.  23 

"  Last  Monday  I  set  out  for  camp,  &  arrived  there  on  Wed 
nesday,  6th  inst.  I  dined  that  day  at  Watertown  with  President 
Langdon  [of  Harvard],  who  told  me  the  Corporation  had  that 
day  met  there,  &  voted  that  the  students  should  be  called 
together  &  academic  exercises  be  set  up  at  Concord.  Here  I 
saw  my  uncle  Eldad  Taylor,  Esq.,  one  of  the  new  elected  Coun 
cillors.  After  dinner  I  rode  to  Head  Quarters  at  Cambridge, 
visited  General  Putnam,  took  a  cursory  view  of  the  encampments, 
&  lodged  at  Revd  Mr.  Farell's,  Act.  seventy-two,  of  Medford,  so 
as  to  be  without  the  camp.  Next  morng  Rev.  Mr.  McLintock, 
Chaplain  of  New  Hampshire  Forces,  introduced  me  to  Gen. 
Sullivan,  and  carried  me  thro  the  encampts  on  Winter  Hill,  Pros 
pect  Hill,  &  on  the  E.  of  Cambridge — that  is,  the  encamp1  of 
the  Left  Wing,  &  Center  of  the  Army.  The  works  are  astonish 
ing  !  The  Lines  are  done  with  a  sufficient  degree  of  Elegance, 
but  their  Strength  &  the  Quantity  of  Line  &  Fortifica  are  amazing, 
considered  as  the  work  of  one  Summer  only.  The  whole  army 
is  in  3  divisions  of  two  Brigades  each.  A  brigade  is  6  Regts  of 
10  companies  each  ;  &  each  compa  60  Men.  So  a  Brigade  3600, 
if  full,  &  a  Division  about  7000.  The  3  divisions  are  22000. 
There  are  some  Boys  and  others  worthless  Fellows  ;  but  these, 
with  the  sick  &  unfit  for  duty,  &  Absentees  on  Furlough  were 
estimated  to  me  far  short  of  one  Quarter  of  the  Army.  The 
Man-Boys  are  equal  to  men  in  general  for  Duty,  especially  in  an 
engagement.  The  rest  of  the  Army  were  robust,  hardy,  brave 
Men,  the  Flower  of  N.  Engld.  So  that  they  told  me  it  might  be 
relied  upon  that  they  qad  sixteen  Thousd.  healthy,  rugged, 
courageous,  invincible  Troops,  fit  for  Action  &  Enterprize. 
These  are  enough.  The  Arrangement  is  :  the  right  wing  at  Rox- 
bury  and  Dorchester,  2  Brigades,  7000  ;  the  left  wing  at  Pros 
pect,  Winter  &  Plow'd  Hills,  7000  ;  the  Center  at  Cambridge,  7000. 
The  Generals  command  thus  : 


Major-Gen.  Ward,         His  Excell?  Gen.  Washington,         Major-Gen.  Lee, 
B.-Gen.  Thomas,  Major-Gen.  Putnam,  B.-Gen.  Sullivan, 

B.-Gen.  Spencer.  B.-Gen.  Heath.  B.-Gen.  Greene. 


24  Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

"  The  Tents  begin  on  Winter  Hill,  about  i J  mile  from  Mystic 
Bridge,  &  so  extend  all  along  round  to  the  mouth  of  Cambridge 
River.  I  began  the  Inspection  upon  Winter  Hill.  Here  is  the 
largest  Fortress  in  the  Army  ;  one  side  of  it  is  above  one  hundred 
Rods.  In  a  Valley  between  Winter  and  prospect  Hills  is 
Gen.  Lee's  House  ;  we  went  to  it,  but  he  was  gone  on  plow'd 
Hill,  so  I  missed  seeing  him.  Then  we  proceeded  to  Prospect 
Hill,  went  into  Major  Sherburn's  marquiss  Tent.  The  Major  was 
appointed  to  Duty,  &  Col.  Hitchcock  was  so  obliging  as  to  carry 
me  thro'  the  Lines.  The  works  are  of  astonishing  Strength. 
Thence  we  proceeded  &  viewed  the  encamp15  of  the  Central 
Division  at  Cambridge,  and  dined  at  Gen.  Putnam's.  In  the 
Afternoon,  Mr.  Leonard  carried  me  to  Col.  Trumbull's,  who  pro 
vides  for  the  Army.  There  I  saw  Revd  Mr.  Blair  (formerly  Pas 
tor  of  the  Old  S°  in  B°),  now  Chaplain  to  the  Rifle  Men,  800. 
Then  we  waited  upon  his  Excellency  General  Washington,  who 
received  us  very  politely,  &  invited  me  to  dinner.  I  was  also  in 
troduced  to  Gen.  Heath  &  Adjutant  Gen.  Gates,  a  martial  man. 
After  visiting  College,  now  converted  into  Barracks,  we  went  to 
the  Meetinghouse  at  VI  o'Clock.  Here  I  prayed  with  the  Central 
Brigade,  and  lodged  at  Gen.  Putnams  with  Mr.  Leonard  ;  spent 
the  Evening  in  Company  with  the  General  and  Gen.  Wash5 
Aide  de  Camp,  Mr.  Randolph,  &  sundry  other  Gentlemen  very 
agreeably. 

."  In  the  Morning  of  the  8th  ins1  I  rode  over  to  Roxbury,  & 
passed  Major  Gen.  Ward's  House  before  I  knew  it.  I  break 
fasted  at  Gen.  Spencers.  Then  Rev.  Mr.  Johnson  &  Revd  Mr. 
Boardman,  two  of  the  Connecticut  Chaplains,  walked  with  me  & 
shewed  me  all  the  Lines  in  the  3d  Division,  or  Right  wing,  under 
the  Command  of  Gen.  Ward.  They  introduced  me  to  Gen. 
Thomas  also  where  we  sat  &  conversed  some  time  very  agreeably. 
Then  about  XI  o'Clock  I  took  Leave  &  set  out  for  home." 

In  this  connection,  also,  is  inserted  a  personal  let 
ter  from  Captain  Isaac  Sherman  to  his  father  in  Con 
gress  at  Philadelphia.  It  is  one  of  a  very  few  known 
to  exist  written  by  this  officer,  who  subsequently  be 
came  quite  distinguished  in  the  Continental  army. 


Events  in  1775-76.  25 

He  was  at  this  time  captain  in  Gerrish's,  afterwards 
Baldwin's,  Massachusetts  regiment  : 

"  BROOKLINE  FORT,  AT  SEWALL'S  POINT,  September  8,  1775. 

"  HONRD  SIR: — I  received  your  letter  dated  August  2ist, 
which  is  the  only  one  received  since  that  favored  by  Col.  Fol- 
som.  It  gives  me  great  pleasure  to  hear  that  my  friends  are  in  a 
good  state  of  health.  Mr.  Dagget's  stay  was  so  very  short  that  I 
could  not  possibly  have  wrote, — he  told  me  you  would  set  out  for 
Philadelphia  before  his  return. 

"  I  was  appointed  by  the  Masstts  Province.  Business  of  al 
most  every  kind  was  entirely  stagnated  in  this  Province  by  rea 
son  of  the  Publick  difficulties,  which  rendered  it  almost  impossible 
to  obtain  any  employment  sufficient  to  procure  a  maintenance, 
was  an  inducement  for  me  to  enter  the  army  :  but  far  from  being 
the  only  one.  The  goodness  of  the  Cause,  a  desire  of  being  a  use 
ful  Member  of  society  and  of  serving  my  Country,  a  thirst  for 
glory,  real  glory,  were  the  grand  incentives.  I  hope  by  the  as 
sistance  of  the  Deity  I  shall  be  enabled  to  serve  every  useful  end, 
— never  to  reflect  dishonor  upon  the  Family  or  myself.  The  dis 
tance  being  so  great,  the  necessity  of  being  Expeditious  in  recruit 
ing,  rendered  it  almost  impossible  to  have  consulted  with  you  on 
the  affair.  I  am  so  far  from  thinking  the  advice  of  the  experi 
enced  disadvantageous  to  youth  that  I  apprehend  it  to  be  incum 
bent  duty  of  young  Men  to  consult  and  advise  with  those  who  are 
acquainted  with  the  various  mancevres  of  Mankind,  and  espe 
cially  with  a  kind,  indulgent  Parent,  who  always  consults  the  good 
of  his  children. 

"  The  Questions  you  proposed  I  shall  answer  with  Pleasure.  I 
am  stationed  at  Brookline  Fort,  at  Sewall's  Point,  situated  be 
tween  Cambridge  and  Roxbury,  on  Charles  River.  We  have  no 
great  prospect  of  a  Battle  at  present.  They  will  never  presume 
without  a  very  Considerable  Reinforcement  to  attempt  to  force  our 
lines,  which  are  very  strong  ;  nor  we  theirs.  The  army  is  very 
healthy,  in  fine  spirits,  resolute  in  the  Cause.  We  have  no  certain 
News  from  the  British  Troops, — a  few  deserters  now  and  then  ; 
but  their  relations  are  to  be  but  little  depended  on.  The  people 
in  Boston  have  been  and  still  are  in  a  very  disagreeable  situation. 
They  have  liberty  to  come  out,  but  they  come  out  very  slow,  for 


26  Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

a  few  Boats  pass  a  day,  and  those  over  Winissinet  Ferry  only. 
The  Generals  are  well.  We  have  various  accounts  from  England, 
but  no  Intelligence  to  be  depended  on.  Nothing  remarkable  has 
happened  here  of  late.  Judges  nor  Justices  are  appointed.  But 
the  Assembly  in  their  next  session,  I  understand,  are  a  going  to 
appoint  them.  The  Council  at  present  are  settling  the  Militia  of 
the  Province.  I  should  esteem  it  a  great  favor  to  be  informed  as 
soon  as  possible  of  the  Plan  preferred  by  the  Continental  Con 
gress  for  raising  troops  for  the  ensuing  Campaign, — whether  I 
could  obtain  the  Command  of  a  regiment  if  I  could  raise  one. 

"  There  are  a  number  of  things  I  stand  in  great  need  of,  which 
cannot  easily  be  procured  here  but  at  a  very  extravagant  price. 
Should  be  glad  you  would  furnish  me  with  a  genteel  Hanger 
[sword],  a  yard  and  a  half  of  superfine  scarlet  Broadcloth  with 
suitable  Trimmings  for  a  coat  of  Uniform,  and  a  piece  of  Holland. 
I  am  in  good  health  ;  very  much  pleased  with  a  Military  life,  tho'gh 
attended  with  many  inconveniences.  I  shall  for  the  future  take 
every  opportunity  of  writing,  and  when  anything  of  importance 
occurs,  shall  endeavor  to  give  the  earliest  intelligence. 
"  I  am,  Sir,  your  most  dutiful  Son, 

"  ISAAC  SHERMAN. 

"  N.  B. — I  should  be  glad  to  know  what  number  of  men  a  regi 
ment  will  consist  of  the  ensuing  campaign.  Mr.  Seevar,  the  Bearer 
of  this,  will  tarry  some  days  in  Philadelphia — he  is  after  goods. 
You  may,  if  agreeable,  have  an  opportunity  of  sending  the  Things 
I  wrote  for  with  his,  and  they  will  be  conveyed  with  safety  to  me. 
Mr.  Sevar  will  purchase  the  quantity  of  goods  he  propose  at  N. 
York  ;  these  things  may  be  obtained  there  and  sent  with  his  if 
equally  agreeable  to  you. 

"  To  the  Honble  Roger  Sherman,  Esqr,  at  Philadelphia  ; 
favored  by  Mr.  Sevar."  1 

While  troops  were  hurrying  toward  Boston,  after 
the  Lexington  alarm,  there  occurred,  May  zoth,  the 
clever  surprise  of  old  Fort  Ticonderoga,  at  Lake 
George.  Major  John  Brown,  class  of  1771,  figured 

3  For  a  copy  of  this  letter  the  writer  is  indebted  to  the  Hon.  George  F.  Hoar, 
Senator  from  Massachusetts,  a  descendant  of  Roger  Sherman. 


Events  in  1775-76.  27 

prominently  in  that  affair  and  afterwards  in  that  de 
partment.  He  was  a  rising  young  lawyer,  of  Berk 
shire  County,  Mass.,  a  capable,  manly  fellow,  full  of 
spirit  and  resolution,  who,  on  several  occasions,  did 
capital  service  and  finally  gave  his  life  to  the  country. 
Acquainted  with  his  merits,  as  he  was  a  member  of 
the  last  Provincial  Congress,  the  Massachusetts  Com 
mittee  of  Safety  requested  him,  early  in  1775,  to 
make  a  trip  into  Canada  to  ascertain  the  temper  of 
the  people  and  movements  of  the  authorities.  This 
duty  he  promptly  undertook,  and  on  March  2Qth  wrote 
an  interesting  letter  from  Montreal  to  the  committee, 
giving  them  much  information  and  making  some  ex 
cellent  suggestions.  The  letter  is  important  as  con 
taining,  so  far  as  the  records  show,  the  first  proposal 
to  secure  Ticonderoga,  the  old  strategic  point  of  the 
French  and  Indian  War.  Brown's  words  are  these  : 
"  One  thing  I  must  mention,  to  be  kept  as  a  profound 
secret.  The  fort  at  Ticonderoga  must  be  seized  as 
soon  as  possible,  should  hostilities  be  committed  by 
the  king's  troops.  The  people  on  New  Hampshire 
Grants  have  engaged  to  do  this  business,  and  in  my 
opinion  they  are  the  most  proper  persons  for  this 
job.  This  will  effectually  curb  this  Province,  and  all 
Troops  that  may  be  sent  here."  x 

Massachusetts  was  preparing  to  act  upon  this  hint 
after  Lexington,  when  Connecticut  anticipated  her 
with  an  independent  movement  in  which  our  gradu 
ates  again  appear.  An  expedition  was  set  on  foot 
from  Hartford,  at  the  instance  of  ten  or  twelve  in 
dividuals  who  advanced  the  necessary  funds  from  the 

1  Letter  published  in  full  in  Force's  American  Archives, 


28          Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

public  treasury,  giving  their  own  notes  as  security. 
Among  them  were  Joshua  Porter,  class  of  1754,  and 
Silas  Deane  and  Samuel  Wyllys,  class  of  1758. 
Harvard  was  represented  by  Samuel  H  olden  Par 
sons  and  William  Williams.  The  prompt  action  of 
these  gentlemen,  proceeding  on  their  own  responsi 
bility,  led  to  speedy  success.  A  few  volunteers  from 
Connecticut  marched  to  Pittsfield,  where  they  were 
joined  by  John  Brown,  as  well  as  Israel  Dickinson, 
of  the  class  of  1758,  and  all  continued  the  march  to 
Bennington  and  Castleton.  There,  Hampshire  men 
were  met,  and  an  organization  effected  under  Col 
onels  Ethan  Allen  and  Easton,  and  on  the  morning 
of  May  loth,  the  garrison  of  the  fort  was  surprised 
and  captured.  This  was  an  acquisition.  Brown  and 
Dickinson  engaged  in  the  affair,  and  are  mentioned 
in  Colonel  Allen's  report  as  having  "  distinguished 
themselves  very  highly  both  in  council  and  action." 
Brown  marched  the  prisoners  out  of  the  fortress,  and 
was  then  despatched  to  report  the  capture  in  person 
to  Congress. 

When  Montgomery  afterwards  proceeded  to  oc 
cupy  Canada,  Brown  accompanied  him  as  major  of 
Easton's  Massachusetts  regiment.  On  the  way,  in 
October,  he  assisted  in  compelling  the  surrender  of 
Chamblee  and  received  his  general's  thanks.  "  Major 
Brown,"  says  Montgomery,  "  offered  his  services  upon 
this  occasion.  Upon  this,  and  all  other  occasions,  I 
have  found  him  active  and  intelligent."  Pushing  on 
to  Montreal,  where  Gen.  Wooster,  who  cordially  sup 
ported  Montgomery,  was  left  in  command,  the  main 
party  continued  their  march  to  Quebec,  to  meet  Ar- 


Events  in  1775-76.  29 

nold  and  assault  the  city.  In  that  ill-fated  attempt, 
on  the  morning  of  Dec.  31,  1775,  which  cost  us  Mont 
gomery's  valuable  life,  many  fine  officers,  who  sub 
sequently  rose  to  distinction,  were  engaged.  Major 
Brown  commanded  one  of  the  detachments  directed 
to  demonstrate  in  the  front  of  the  city  while  the  main 
attacks  were  made  in  the  rear.  All  failed,  and  the 
handful  of  Americans  fell  back  to  continue  the  ap 
pearance  of  an  investment  through  the  winter. 
Brown  was  stationed  at  the  advance  lines  where  he 
suffered  intensely  from  the  cold.  The  nature  of  his 
duties  appears  from  one  of  his  unpublished  letters  as 
well  as  from  this  brief  order  to  be  found  in  the  frag 
ment  of  an  old  Quebec  Order-Book  preserved  in  the 
Pension  Bureau  at  Washington  : 

"Jan.  27,  1776 — opposite  Quebec. 

"  The  different  guards  are  to  instruct  their  sentrys  that  when  they 
see  any  Rockets  thrown  from  the  guards  at  the  hospital  or  the  ad 
vanced  guard  at  Major  Brown's  quarters,  is  to  be  taken  for  the  sig 
nal  of  allarum." 

In  the  letter,  which  was  written  to  his  wife,  Major 
Brown  speaks  of  a  disagreement  between  himself  and 
Arnold.  This  seems  to  have  originated  at  the  sur 
prise  of  Ticonderoga,  and  ended  in  a  series  of  charges 
preferred  against  the  latter  by  Brown.  The  Major 
mistrusted  Arnold's  honesty  at  an  early  date.  His 
letter  is  as  follows  : 

"  CAMP  NEAR  QUEBEC,  March  15,  1776. 

"  DEAR  WIFE  : — By  Lt.  Pixley,  of  Stockbridge,  I  send  this, 
which  I  suppose  will  come  direct — nothing  of  great  consequence 
has  happened  since  my  last  which  concerns  the  army.  Capt. 
Brown  [the  Major's  brother]  now  lies  before  me  breathing  his 
last,  having  taken  the  smallpox  about  twelve  days  since.  Terri- 


30  Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

ble  tidings  this  to  our  family  at  Sandisfield.  I  have  got  him  a 
good  house  in  the  country,  where  he  has  the  best  attention.  I 
have  waited  on  him  with  Doctor  Binna  of  Tyringham  during  his 
illness,  but  all  in  vain.  He  is  lost.  I  shall  be  home  in  the 
spring,  God  willing — have  spent  the  winter  very  disagreeably  in 
deed.  The  Sandisfield  troops  arrived  here  three  days  since,  who 
tell  me  you  are  all  well.  .  .  . 

"I  hear  General  Lee  is  nigh  at  hand,  in  which  I  rejoice.  Mr. 
General  Arnold  and  I  do  not  agree  very  well.  I  expect  another 
storm  soon — suppose  I  must  be  a  Uriah.  We  had  an  alarm  yes 
terday.  The  enemy  made  a  sally  on  our  working  party  ;  it  is 
said  with  five  hundred  men.  General  Arnold  immediately  or 
dered  me,  being  on  the  advance  post,  to  attack  them  with  my  de 
tachment,  which  consists  of  about  two  hundred,  more  than  half 
of  which  were  sick  in  hospital.  I  accordingly  marched  against 
the  enemy,  who  had  retired  into  the  Fort  too  soon  for  me  to  at 
tack  them.  I  expect  to  be  punished  for  disobedience  of  orders 
next.  On  the  whole,  we  are  in  an  indifferent  situation  at  present. 
I  suppose  all  letters  are  broken  open  before  they  reach  the  Colo 
nies,  but  as  this  goes  by  a  friend  it  will  come  safe. 

"  I  am  solicited  to  stay  another  year  as  Lt.  Colonel,  but  have 
refused.     Shall  I  consent  ?     Compliments  to  all  friends,  &c. 
"  I  am,  &c.,  your  loving  husband,  &c., 

"JNO.  BROWN." 
"  To  Mrs.  Huldah  Brown,  Pittsfield." 

Word  of  the  Quebec  disaster  was  sent  to  Wooster 
at  Montreal,  now  the  senior  officer  in  Canada,  and  he 
immediately  issued  the  following  instructions  to  Col. 
James  Clinton,  commanding  one  of  the  New  York 
regiments  at  that  post  : 

"  HEADQUARTERS,  MONTREAL,  Jan.  4,  1776. 

"  COL.  CLINTON  : — Sir,  you  are  hereby  desired  and  directed  to 
proceed  with  all  possible  expedition  to  the  Army  lately  com 
manded  by  our  Brave  Deceased  General  Montgomery,  and  take 
the  command  of  them  till  Col.  Arnold  shall  recover  from  his 

1  From  a  copy  of  the  original  in  possession  of  Mr.  H.  C.  Van  Schaack,  Man- 
lius,  N.  Y. 


Events  in  1775-76.  31 

wound  or  till  otherwise  Ordered — with  regard  to  the  measures  you 
are  to  take  with  the  Army,  I  shall  leave  it  to  your  discretion,  with 
the  advice  of  the  other  officers.  You  will  communicate  to  me  all 
transactions  of  importance,  and  upon  your  arrival,  forward  to 
me,  by  the  first  safe  conveyance,  all  General  Montgomery's  public 
and  private  papers. 

"  By  order  of  GENERAL  WOOSTER. 

"  JAMES  CARR  BENJAMIN,  Aid-De-Camp."  1 

The  attempt  on  Canada,  however,  came  to  nothing. 
Wooster  himself  took  command  before  Quebec  in 
April,  but  he  was  disliked  by  Gen.  Schuyler,  com 
manding  the  department,  and  a  Committee  of  Con 
gress  recommended  his  removal,  which  John  Adams 
regarded  as  an  act  of  injustice.  On  this^point  fur 
ther  facts  are  presented  in  the  biographical  sketch  of 
the  General.  He  was  succeeded  by  Gen.  Thomas, 
of  Massachusetts,  whose  secretary  and  aid  was  Major 
Theodore  Sedgewick,  class  of  1765,  afterwards  judge 
and  United  States  Senator.  Thomas  soon  died,  and 
our  troops  withdrew  from  Canada. 

The  Boston  siege  promised  better  success.  Capt. 
Chester,  who  was  promoted  major  of  Col.  Erastus 
Wolcott's  regiment  in  Jan.,  1776,  continued  to  write 
interesting  letters  to  his  friends  at  Wethersfield,  sev 
eral  of  which  have  been  published.2  He  was  very 
anxious  to  have  the  enemy  driven  out  of  the  town. 
"Great  complaints,"  he  wrote,  Feb.  i5th,  "  are  here 
made  by  ye  Genls  of  the  want  of  Powder,  which  im 
pedes  everything  ;  they  think  that  even  the  town 
stocks  ought  to  be  delivered  up  to  the  army,  for  if 
we  can  do  nothing  here  this  season,  forty  times  the 

1  From  the  original  among  the  MSS.  at  "Washington's  Head-Quarters," 
Newburg,  N.  Y.  2  See  note  on  p.  21. 


32  Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

quantity  in  the  Country  will  be  of  no  service  when 
the  reinforcements  arrive  from  England.  If  we 
can  rout  this  Hornest  Nest  now  we  have  every 
thing  to  hope,  if  not  we  've  everything  to  fear. 
The  cause  is  General  &  Common.  Why  should 
Distant  Colonies  &  towns  carry  on  a  distinct  War 
and  lay  out  for  a  distinct  defence  ?  You  need 
not  fear  to  Drive  on  the  Salt  Petre  works  vigorously. 
Pray  how  go  on  the  Powder  Mills.  We  shall  want 
their  most  vigorous  exertions  soon." 

Col.  Henry  Babcock,  and  Capt.  William  Coit,  who 
had  been  in  the  Boston  camps,  varied  their  service 
with  some  independent  experiences.  Coit,  hailing 
from  New  London,  knew  something  of  sea  life,  and 
after  showing  his  courage  at  Bunker  Hill,  took  com 
mand  of  a  privateer.  It  was  not  long  before  he  fell 
in  with  rich  prizes.  Two  that  he  captured  in  No 
vember,  1775,  were  laden  with  "  fish,  flour,  hogs, 
sheep,  cattle,  potatoes,  cheese,  and  all  kinds  of  poul 
try,  from  Halifax,  for  the  use  of  the  hungry  crew  in 
Boston."  He  seems  to  have  had  a  vein  of  humor  in 
him,  as  a  published  letter  states  that  he  landed  his 
prisoners  on  Plymouth  Rock  and  there  made  them 
give  three  cheers  and  wish  all  happiness  to  America.1 
He  is  said  to  have  been  the  first  rebel  to  turn  "his 
Majesty's  bunting  upside  down." 

Col.  Babcock,  of  Rhode  Island,  had  been  serving 
as  a  volunteer  with  Gen.  Putnam,  his  old  companion 
in  the  French  and  Indian  War,  where  he  won  no  little 
reputation.  He  was  but  twenty-one  when  commis- 

1  Penn.   Journal,   Nov.   29,   1775.     See  extract  from  one  of  Colt's  letters  in 
biographical  sketch. 


Events  in  1775-76.  33 

sioned  colonel,  and  is  spoken  of  as  a  youth  of  unusual 
brilliancy.  The  Rhode  Island  Assembly  gave  him  the 
"  home-brigade  "  early  in  1776,  and  he  immediately 
laid  it  under  strict  dicipline,  first  addressing  it  j^^ 
salutatory  order  as  follows  : 


11  GENTLEMEN  OFFICERS  AND  BROTHER  SOLDIERS  : 
*  *  #  *  *  *  * 

"  Many,  and  most  of  you,  I  am  certain,  have  engaged  ia  the  ser 
vice  of  your  country  upon  the  best  Principles,  viz.,  that  of  .defend 
ing  your  aged  parents,  your  wives  and  children,  against  .the 
arbitrary  attempts  of  a  wretched,  abandoned,  and  most  profligate 
administration,  who  have  compelled  us  to  take  up  arms  in  the 
defence  of  all  that's  dear  and  valuable.  You  will  therefore 
bring  no  disgrace  upon  so  good  a  cause,  but  in  case  of  an  action, 
which  may  sooner  happen  than  many  of  you  may  expect,  behave 
yourselves  with  coolness,  firmness,  and  manly  fortitude,  by  which 
means  you  will  call  down  the  Divine  Blessing  upon  our  arms. 

"  I  have  the  pleasure  to  acquaint  you  that  this  wide  Extended 
Continent  are  almost  united  to  a  man  to  oppose  with  firmness 
every  attempt  to  enslave  us.  The  country,  My  Brothers  (for  as 
such  I  shall  esteem  every  good  soldier),  cannot  be  enslaved  ;  we 
must  and  shall  be  Free,  and  grow  into  greatness  by  opposition. 
The  kingdom  of  Great  Britain  (tho*  formerly  famed  for  arts  and 
arms)  is  now  gallopping  headlong  to  ruin.  The  Empire  of 
America  is  rising  to  glory. 

"  I  shall  make  it  my  study  to  inform  you  of  every  part  of  your 
duty  as  fast  as  I  possibly  can.  Your  pay  and  provisions  I  shall 
be  very  careful  that  you  have  ;  on  your  part  I  shall  expect  the 
most  implicit  obedience  to  the  orders  of  your  officers.  I  wish 
you  health  and  happiness  (which  will  much  depend  on  a  virtuous 
conduct  and  keeping  yourselves  neat  and  clean)  and  as  much 
glory  as  you  can  possibly  wish  yourselves.1 

The  Colonel,  unfortunately,  developed  certain  ec 
centricities  about  this  time,  which  barred  his  entrance 

1  This  and  the  succeeding  extract  from  the  New  London  Gazette,  March  8 
and  April  19,  1776. 


34  Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

into  the  field,  where  otherwise  he  might  have  dis 
tinguished  himself.  He  was  deprived  of  his  com 
mand,  but  not  before  he  had  the  opportunity  of 
showing  what  he  could  do  in  a  "  lucid  interval." 
While  stationed  at  Newport  he  assisted  in  driving  off 
the  Scarborough,  a  British  twenty-gun  ship,  which,  with 
two  tenders,  sailed  into  the  harbor  one  evening  early 
in  April,  with  the  obvious  intention  of  doing  mischief. 
A  party  of  volunteers  captured  the  tenders  (a  brig 
and  schooner)  while  the  Colonel  opened  a  sharp  fire 
on  the  man-of-war  from  one  of  the  forts.  He  re 
ceives  high  praise  for  his  conduct  in  a  published 
account  of  the  affair,  where  the  writer  adds  at  the 
close  : 

"  We  are  bound  in  justice  to  say  that  the  disposition  on  shore, 
made  by  Colonel  Babcock,  was  very  soldierlike,  and,  notwith 
standing  his  indisposition,  he  was  on  horseback  a  great  part  of 
the  night,  fired  one  of  the  eighteen-pounders  from  the  North 
Battery  himself  and  hulled  the  Scarborough,  and  behaved  in  so 
cool  and  approved  a  manner  as  made  even  the  Tories  fear  him. 
The  Sons  of  Liberty  take  this  opportunity  of  returning  Colonel 
Babcock  their  particular  thanks  for  the  Discipline  he  has  estab 
lished  in  the  Brigade  under  his  command.  Notwithstanding  the 
clamor  made  against  him  of  Insanity,  we  think  him  perfectly  in 
his  sober  senses." 

The  British  evacuated  Boston  March  17,  1776,  and 
on  the  same  day  our  forces  took  possession.  Lieut- 
Colonel  Fisher  Gay,  of  Farmington,  Conn.,  and  of 
Col.  Erastus  Wolcott's  regiment,  leaves  in  his  jour 
nal  about  the  only  record  we  have  of  the  entry  of 
the  troops.  Col.  Gay  had  lately  been  requested  by 
Washington  to  purchase  all  the  gunpowder  he  could 
in  Connecticut  and  Rhode  Island,  and  after  a  rapid 


Events  in  1775-76.  35 

and  successful  trip  which  gave  the  General  ''great  satis 
faction,"  he  returned  to  duty  near  Boston  Neck.  On 
the  day  of  the  evacuation,  March  1 7th,  he  writes  : 

;  .  .  .  Colonel  Wolcott  on  the  Hill — An  alarm  in  the  morn 
ing.  I  ordered  the  regiment  to  meet  before  the  Colonel's  door 
after  prayers.  I  marched  them  off  with  Major  Chester.  Near 
the  alarm  post  found  instead  of  going  to  action  the  enemy  had 
abandoned  Boston.  500  troops  ordered  immediately.  Ordered 
to  march  into  and  take  possession  of  the  fortifications  in  Boston. 
Colonel  Learnard,  my  self,  Majors  Sprout  and  Chester,  with  a 
number  of  other  officers  and  troops  marched  in  and  took  posses 
sion  and  tarried  there  till  the  ipth  at  night  ;  then  returned  to  camp 
at  Roxbury.  Never  people  more  glad  at  the  departure  of  an 
enemy  and  to  see  friends." 

Boston  relieved,  Washington  put  a  large  part  of 
his  army  on  the  road  for  New  York,  which  was  to 
become  the  scene  of  operations  in  the  next  campaign. 

1  See  note  on  page  21. 


EVENTS  IN  1776-77. 

The  New  York  Campaign — List  of  Alumni  Soldiers— Declaration  of  Indepen 
dence — Joseph  Hawley — Battle  of  Long  Island — Colonel  Silliman — Re 
treat  to  New  York — Tallmadge's  Account  of  It — Loss  of  New  York — 
Nathan  Hale — Bushnell's  Torpedo — White  Plains — Trenton  and  Prince 
ton — Letter  from  Capt.  Hull — Hitchcock's  Gallant  Conduct — Deaths  of 
Graduate  Officers. 

WE  now  have  more  stirring  times.  War  came 
with  a  reality  and  energy  that  put  the  devotion  of 
the  country  to  a  painful  test.  The  change  of  base 
from  Boston  to  New  York  meant  the  concentration 
at  the  latter  point  of  thirty  thousand  of  England's 
best  troops  and  mercenaries  to  stamp  out  rebellion 
with  the  hardest  blows.  In  addition,  prestige  lost  at 
Boston  had  to  be  recovered.  The  result  anticipated 
by  the  enemy  followed.  Washington's  army,  which 
attempted  to  defend  New  York,  experienced  that 
series  of  defeats  and  losses,  beginning  with  the  battle 
of  Long  Island  and  ending  with  the  retreat  through 
New  Jersey,  with  which  every  one  is  familiar.  It 
was  the  anxious  summer  and  fall  of  1776,  a  very 
critical  period  of  the  war,  which  might  have  closed 
with  unwelcome  apprehensions,  had  not  Trenton  and 
Princeton  suddenly  changed  the  situation  and  revived 
faith  and  confidence. 

Between  eighty  and  ninety  graduates  took  part  in 
the  operations  of  the  year,  some  serving  to  the  close 
of  the  campaign,  others  serving  brief  terms  with  the 

36 


Events  in  1776-77.  37 

militia.  Most  of  them  were  to  be  found  in  the  army 
at  New  York,  under  Washington's  immediate  com 
mand  ;  a  few  in  the  northern  department  and  else 
where.  Twelve  or  fifteen  came  with  the  Continental 
regiments  from  Boston — for  instance,  Colonels  Wyl- 
lys  and  Hitchcock,  Major  Sherman,  Captains  Hull, 
Hale,  Grosvenor,  and  others.  In  the  emergency, 
that  is,  in  June  and  July,  1776,  especially  after  the 
enemy  had  landed  in  force  at  Staten  Island,  Wash 
ington  called  urgently  for  more  troops,  and  many 
hurried  to  his  assistance.  New  York  furnished  two 
new  brigades,  one  of  which,  consisting  of  four  regi 
ments,  was  commanded  by  Brigadier-General  John 
Morin  Scott,  of  the  class  of  1 746,  already  mentioned 
as  one  of  the  ablest  of  the  patriotic  leaders  in  the 
State.  Lewis  Morris,  of  the  same  State  and  class,  was 
appointed  brigadier  of  Westchester  County  troops,  but 
being  a  member  of  the  Continental  Congress  he  did 
not  assume  any  command  until  later  in  the  war. 
William  Livingston,  of  the  class  of  1741,  appeared 
as  brigadier-general  at  the  head  of  Jersey  militia,  and 
watched  the  enemy  on  Staten  Island  until  August, 
when  the  Legislature  elected  him  governor  of  the 
State.  Connecticut  sent  a  large  proportion  of  the 
reinforcements  called  for,  the  most  reliable  of  which 
were  the  seven  regiments  raised  in  June  to  serve 
through  the  year,  and  placed  under  the  command  of 
Brigadier-General  James  Wadsworth,  of  the  class  of 
1748.  Four  of  his  colonels  were  also  graduates, 
namely,  Gold  Selleck  Silliman,  Philip  Burr  Bradley, 
Fisher  Gay,  and  John  Chester,  as  well  as  two 
lieutenant-colonels,  John  Chandler  and  Giles  Rus- 


38  Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

sell.  In  August,  Brigadier-General  Oliver  Wolcott, 
class  of  1747,  lately  returned  from  Congress,  brought 
down  a  body  of  militia  from  Western  Connecticut, 
and  still  later  Brigadier-General  Gurdon  Saltonstall, 
class  of  1725,  the  oldest  graduate  who  ventured  into 
the  field,  arrived  with  another  body  from  the  eastern 
section  of  the  State  ;  while  in  December,  General 
Wooster,  who  had  been  recalled  from  Canada,  sta 
tioned  himself  with  militiamen  in  Westchester  County 
and  along  the  Connecticut  border.  The  other  gradu 
ates  were  generally  subordinate  officers  in  these 
several  commands.  As  far  as  can  be  ascertained,  the 
list,  with  their  latest  rank,  of  those  who  served  at  any 
time  in  this  campaign,  from  the  spring  of  1776  into 
January  1777,  when  the  battle  of  Princeton  was 
fought,  would  be  as  follows  : 

AROUND  NEW  YORK. 

Maj.-Gen.  David  Wooster,  Chaplain  Ebenezer  Baldwin, 

Brig.-Gen.  John  M.  Scott,  '         Abner  Benedict, 

William  Livingston,  «         Thomas  Brockway, 

James  Wadsworth,  '         Joseph  Buckminster, 

Oliver  Wolcott,  '         Ebenezer  Cleaveland, 

Gurdon  Saltonstall,  '         John  Cleaveland, 

Colonel  Samuel  Wyllys,  •          Hezekiah  Chapman, 

Daniel  Hitchcock,  '          Stephen  Johnson, 

Gold  S.  Silliman,  '         Isaac  Lewis, 

Philip  B.  Bradley,  <         Benjamin  Pomeroy, 

Fisher  Gay,  '         John  Storrs, 

John  Chester,  '         Benjamin  Trumbull, 

Joseph  Platt  Cooke,  •         Samuel  Wales, 

Mark  Hopkins,  Asst.  Adj. -Gen.  Eben.  Huntington, 

Lieut. -Col.  John  Chandler,  "             "          Mark  Leavenworth, 

Giles  Russell,  Brigade-Major  John  P.  Wyllys, 

Experience  Storrs,  "           "       Daniel  Lyman, 

Thomas  Seymour,  "           •'       William  Peck, 

Major  Isaac  Sherman,  "           "       Ebenezer  Gray, 

Surgeon  Jared  Potter,  "           ••       Benjamin  Tallmadge, 

Josiah  Hart,  Adjutant  David  Humphreys, 


Events  in  1776-77.  39 

Adjutant  Andrew  Hillyer,  Lieutenant  James  Morris, 

Sam.  A.  S.  Barker,  "         Royal  Flint, 

Captain  Thomas  Grosvenor,  * '         Jonathan  Bellamy, 

William  Hull,  "        James  Watson, 

Nathan  Hale,  "         Amos  Northrop, 

Theophilus  Munson,  "         Nathaniel  West, 

Hezekiah  Wyllys,  "         Simeon  Newell, 

Jabez  Hamlin,  "         James  Hillhouse, 

Samuel  Eells,  "         Ashbel  Baldwin, 

Stephen  R.  Bradley,  Aide-de-Camp  Thomas  Wooster, 

Lieutenant  Ezra  Selden,  Volunteer  Joel  Barlow, 

Richard  Sill,  "         David  Bushnell, 

Jonathan  Heart,  "         Elisha  S.  Williams. 

AT  TlCONDEROGA. 

Colonel  John  Paterson,  Captain  Vine  Elderkin, 

Surgeon  Thomas  Russell,  "       Elijah  Abel, 

Chaplain  David  Avery,  Lieutenant  William  Nichols, 

"        Ammi  R.  Robbins,  "         Enoch  Woodbridge. 

Captain  Moses  Ashley, 

AT  FORT  STANWIX. 
Captain  Robert  Walker,  Lieutenant  Nehemiah  Rice. 

AT  BOSTON. 
Chaplain  William  Plumbe. 

William  Coit  became  Captain  of  the  Connecticut  man-of-war  "  Oliver  Crom 
well,"  with  Bela  Elderkin  as  Lieutenant  of  Marines.  John  Elderkin  was  probably 
a  regimental  Quartermaster  at  New  York  ;  Stephen  Keyes,  also,  a  line  officer. 

Briefly  outlined,  the  events  of  this  year  included 
the  battle  of  Long  Island,  retreat  to  New  York, 
evacuation  of  the  city,  battle  of  Harlem  Heights, 
retreat  to  and  battle  of  White  Plains,  loss  of  Fort 
Washington,  retreat  through  New  Jersey,  and  finally, 
the  battles  of  Trenton  and  Princeton.  They  followed 
each  other  rapidly,  from  Aug.  27th  to  Jan.  3d. 

The  successful  defence  of  New  York  without  a 
fleet  was  problematical,  but  not  to  attempt  it  would 
have  been  too  frank  an  admission  of  timidity  or 
weakness.  Accordingly,  when  the  Boston  army 
reached  the  city  in  April,  it  was  set  to  work  at  the 
old  task  of  fortifying.  The  men  were  well  used  to 


40  Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

spade  and  shovel.  Something  had  been  done  before 
by  New  York  and  Connecticut  troops,  but  vastly 
more  remained  to  be  done.  Works  were  laid  out  at 
every  defensible  point  in  the  vicinity,  and  digging 
went  on  for  four  months  before  the  enemy  were  pre 
pared  to  attack.  Officers  had  their  hands  full  direct 
ing  the  fatigue  parties,  drilling  in  camp,  and  doing 
guard  duty.  As  to  the  graduates,  Gen.  Scott  was 
quartered  with  his  brigade  in  the  city,  where  batteries 
were  thrown  up  along  the  river  fronts  ;  Cols.  Silliman 
and  Chester,  of  Gen.  Wadsworth's  brigade,  on  the 
east  side  ;  Col.  Bradley  on  Bergen  Heights  and  Paulus 
Hook,  now  Jersey  City ;  Col.  Wyllys  near  Jones' 
Hill,  East  Grand  St.  ;  Major  Sherman  on  the  North 
River,  about  the  foot  of  Canal  St.  ;  Captains  Hull  and 
Hale  near  Bayard's  Hill ;  Gen.  Livingston  at  Eliza- 
bethtown  Point,  New  Jersey  ;  Cols.  Gay  and  Hitch 
cock,  under  Gen.  Greene,  on  the  Brooklyn  front ;  and 
the  others  elsewhere  from  Governor's  Island  to 
King's  Bridge. 

The  last-named  officer,  Col.  Daniel  Hitchcock, 
class  of  1761,  commanding  one  of  the  two  Rhode  Is 
land  regiments  in  the  service  (Col.  James  Varnum, 
graduate  of  Brown,  commanding  the  other)  will  make 
an  enviable  record  during  this  campaign.  He  went 
to  college  from  Springfield,  Mass.,  but  settled  in  the 
practice  of  the  law  at  Providence,  R.  I.  Gen.  Greene, 
of  the  same  State,  thought  highly  of  both  his  colo 
nels.  Like  himself,  both  were  excellent  discipli 
narians,  and  of  mature  and  safe  judgment.  Their 
regiments  were  among  the  best  in  the  army,  and  with 
others  were  assigned  to  the  construction  and  defence 


Events  in  777^-77.  41 

of  the  works  on  the  Long  Island  side.  Hitchcock's 
command  built  Fort  Putnam,  which  stood  on  the 
high  ground  in  the  present  Washington  Park,  Brook 
lyn,  and  in  his  orders  of  June  iyth  Greene  named 
that  as  their  permanent  station  :  "  Col.  Hitchcock's 
Reg1.,  to  take  fort  Putnam  and  the  fort  or  redoubt 
on  the  left  of  it  for  their  alarm  posts.  ...  In 
case  of  an  attack  all  these  posts  are  to  be  defended 
to  the  last  extremity."1  Serving  faithfully  during 
the  year,  the  Colonel  will  render  signal  and  distin 
guished  service  at  the  close,  although,  unhappily,  it 
was  the  cause  of  his  death  soon  after. 

This  was  the  year,  also,  of  the  Declaration  of  In 
dependence,  which  brought  matters  to  a  definite  issue 
and  attached  additional  significance  to  all  military 
operations  that  followed.  It  practically  cut  off  rec 
onciliation  and  foreshadowed  a  long  and  determined 
contest.2  Four  of  our  graduates  were  among  the 
"  Signers  "  of  that  famous  instrument,  namely,  Philip 
Livingston  and  Lewis  Morris  of  New  York,  Oliver 
Wolcott  of  Connecticut,  and  Lyman  Hall  of  Georgia. 
As  the  biography  of  the  signers  is  to  be  found  in 
print,  and  generally  accessible  to  the  reader,  it  is 
enough  in  this  connection  simply  to  recall  these 
names.  With  them,  however,  we  may  mention  that 
of  another  graduate,  not  so  well  known,  whose  voice 
was  always  listened  to  with  deep  attention,  and  who 
powerfully  urged  separation  from  Great  Britain  at 

1  Gen.  Greene's  orders  in  "The  Campaign  of  1776  around   New  York  and 
Brooklyn."     Memoirs  of  the  Long  Island  Historical  Society,  vol.  iii.     Brook 
lyn,  1878. 

2  Dr.  Stiles  said  of  it :   "  Thus  the  Congress  has  tied  the  Gordian  knot,  which 
the  Parliament  will  find  they  can  neither  cut  nor  untie.     The  Thirteen  Colo 
nies  now  rise  into  an  Independent  Republic,  among  the  Kingdoms,  States,  and 
Empires  on_Earth." — Holmes'  "  Life  of  Stiles." 


42          Yale  in  the  Revolution. 


an  early  day.  This  was  Hon.  Joseph  Hawley,  Major 
Hawley,  as  he  was  called,  class  of  1742,  who  lived  at 
Northampton,  Mass.  He  was  an  eminent  lawyer  and 
frequently  represented  his  town  in  the  General  Court 
at  Boston,  where  he  took  the  lead  in  public  discus 
sions.  He  is  remembered  as  a  man  of  great  intel 
lectual  power  and  force  of  character,  but  without  that 
ambition  which  would  have  led  him  with  men  like 
John  Adams  into  a  wider  field.  His  reputation  was 
confined  mainly  to  Massachusetts.  There,  we  are 
told  his  influence  was  "  almost  unexampled."  He 
seems  to  have  forecast  the  tendency  of  the  contro 
versy  with  England  earlier  than  his  colleagues,  and 
always  gave  a  pronounced  opinion  on  current  issues. 
Bancroft  states  that  he  was  the  first  to  deny  openly 
in  a  colonial  legislature  Parliament's  right  to  legislate 
for  America.  Later,  when  few  men  dared  to  think 
of  a  resort  to  arms,  Hawley  saw  that  it  was  inevi- 
able.  To  those  who  reminded  him  of  the  danger  of 


Events  in  1776-77*  43 

the  unequal  contest  he  replied  :  "  We  must  put  to 
sea.  Providence  will  bring  us  into  port."  So  firm 
were  his  convictions  on  this  point  that  early  in  1774 
he  impressed  his  views  upon  the  Massachusetts  dele 
gation,  then  attending  the  first  Congress  in  Phila 
delphia,  in  what  he  called  a  series  of  "  broken  hints." 
His  sentences  were  full  of  fire.  "We  must  fight," 
he  wrote,  "  if  we  cannot  otherwise  rid  ourselves  of 
British  taxation,  all  revenues,  and  the  constitution  or 
form  of  government  enacted  for  us  by  the  British 
Parliament.  It  is  evil  against  right.  .  .  .  It  is 
now  or  never  that  we  must  assert  our  liberty.  .  . 
Fight  we  must  finally  unless  Britain  retreats."  When 
war  came  Hawley  was  again  among  the  first  to  urge 
independence  as  the  true  ground  on  which  to  prose 
cute  it.  His  letters  to  Elbridge  Gerry  in  Congress 
early  in  1776  show  how  much  in  earnest  he  was. 
"  Independence,"  he  says  to  him,  "is  the  only  way  to 
union  and  harmony,  to  vigor  and  dispatch  in  busi 
ness.  Our  eye  will  be  single  and  our  whole  body 
full  of  light.  Any  thing  short  of  it  will,  as  appears  to 
me,  be  our  destruction,  infallible  destruction,  and  that 
speedily."  "  You  cannot  declare  independence  too 
soon."  "My  hand  and  heart  are  full  of  it.  There 
will  be  no  abiding  union  without  it."  "  Let  there  be 
a  full  revolution,  or  all  has  been  done  in  vain.  In 
dependence,  and  a  well-planned  Continental  govern 
ment,  will  save  us."  "  Without  an  American  inde 
pendent  supreme  Government  and  Constitution, 
wisely  devised  and  designed,  well  established  and 
settled,  we  shall  always  be  but  a  rope  of  sand ;  but 
that  well  done,  invincible."  Nor  was  Hawley  con- 


44 


Yale  in  the  Revolution. 


tent  to  indulge  in  words  and  counsel  alone.  He  be 
came  Chairman  of  the  Northampton  Committee  of 
Safety,  and  was  active  in  the  years  1776  and  1777  in 
raising  and  equipping  troops  for  service  in  New 
York  and  Canada.  A  few  of  his  letters  to  the  State 
Committee,  showing  what  he  did  in  this  direction,  are 
preserved  in  the  Massachusetts  Archives  at  Boston. 
William  Tudor,  Hawley's  contemporary,  who  places 
him  high  among  the  worthies  of  that  State  in  that  im 
portant  period,  pays  this  tribute  to  his  memory  :  "  He, 
in  fine,  formed  one  of  those  manly,  public-spirited 
and  generous  citizens,  ready  to  share  peril  and  de 
cline  reward,  who  illustrate  the  idea  of  a  Common 
wealth  ;  and  who,  through  the  obstructions  of  human 
passions  and  infirmities,  being  of  rare  occurrence, 
will  always  be  the  most  admired,  appropriate,  and 
noble  ornaments  of  a  free  government."1 


The  campaign  opened  on  August  22d,  when  the 
enemy  crossed  from  their  encampments  on  Staten 
Island  to  the  Long  Island  shore  at  Gravesend,  and 
marched  towards  our  Brooklyn  lines.  Gen.  Living 
ston  learned  of  the  movement  through  a  spy  and  was 
the  first  to  inform  Washington  of  it.  More  troops 
were  at  once  pushed  across  the  East  River  to  defend 

1  See  Tudor's  "  Life  of  James  Otis  "  pp.  253-60,  where  he  gives  Hawley  an 
elaborate  notice.  A  full  sketch,  with  authorities,  appears  in  Prof.  Dexter's 
"  Biographical  Sketches  of  the  Graduates  of  Yale  College,  with  Annals  of  the 
College  History,  Oct.,  lyoi-May,  1745."  —  N.  Y.,  Henry  Holt  &  Co.,  1885. 

Hawley  being  major  of  the  Second  Hampshire  Co.  Militia  regiment  before 
the  war,  was  generally  known  as  Major  Hawley. 


Events  in  1776-77.  45 

the  works  on  that  side,  and  large  picket  detachments 
were  sent  to  the  hills  beyond  in  the  present  Green 
wood  Cemetery  and  Prospect  Park.  After  four 
days'  delay,  on  the  morning  of  August  27th,  the 
enemy  advanced  and  by  noon  had  won  what  is 
known  as  the  battle  of  Long  Island.  They  suc 
ceeded  in  outflanking  the  force  at  the  hills  and 
passes — about  five  thousand  men — and  caused  its 
precipitate  retreat  to  the  main  works,  in  the  course 
of  which  there  was  considerable  fighting,  accom 
panied  with  the  loss,  on  our  part,  of  about  eight  hun 
dred  prisoners.  By  not  sufficiently  guarding  the 
Jamaica  road  on  the  left,  the  Americans  suffered 
a  surprise  and  defeat.  The  enemy  then  prepared  to 
lay  siege  to  the  fortified  line  which  ran  through 
what  is  now  the  heart  of  Brooklyn,  when  Washing 
ton,  on  the  night  of  the  29th,  silently  withdrew  the 
troops  and  accomplished  his  famous  retreat  across 
the  river  to  New  York. 

Quite  a  number  of  graduates  were  concerned  in 
these  movements.  Gay's  and  Hitchcock's  regiments 
were  already  on  that  side.  Among  the  additional 
troops  sent  over  after  the  enemy  landed  were  Col. 
Wyllys',  Silliman's,  and  Chester's  regiments.  Silli- 
man's  was  sent  to  various  points  at  the  front,  and 
in  his  letters,  still  preserved,  he  describes  his  ex 
periences.  On  the  25th,  for  example,  he  wrote 
to  his  wife  from  the  picket  post  in  Prospect  Park, 
opposite  Flatbush,  as  follows  : 

"I  wrote  you  yesterday  morning  from  Brookline  upon  the 
Drum  Head  in  the  field  as  I  do  now,  which  I  hope  you  will 
receive  this  day Have  not  so  much  as  a  bear  skin 


46  Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

to  lie  on,  only  my  blanket  to  wrap  me  in,  for  our  removals  from 
place  to  place  are  so  quick  &  sudden  that  we  can  have 
no  opportunity  nor  means  to  convey  beds,  &c.,  but  go  only  with 
the  cloaths  on  our  backs  &  our  blankets  and  a  little  ready- 
cooked  victuals.  I  am  now  posted  within  about  half  a  mile  from 
the  Regulars  with  my  Regt.  under  the  Covert  of  a  woody  hill  to 
stop  their  passage  into  the  Country.  There  are  a  number  of 
Regts.  posted  all  around  the  town  within  about  the  same  distance 
&  for  the  same  purpose.  The  regulars  keep  up  an  almost  Con 
stant  Fire  from  their  cannon  &  mortars  at  some  or  other  of  us, 
but  neither  shott  nor  shell  has  come  near  my  Regt.  yet  and  they 
are  at  too  great  a  distance  to  fire  muskets  at  as  yet.  I  have 
a  scouting  party  going  out  now  to  see  if  they  can't  pick  up  some 
or  get  something  from  them.  I  came  to  this  post  this  day  at  12 
o'clock  &  shall  remain  here  till  this  time  to-morrow,  if  God 
spares  my  life,  with  no  other  covering  than  the  trees."  1 

On  the  morning  of  the  battle,  Wyllys'  and 
Chester's  regiments  were  stationed  on  the  upper 
Flatbush  road  and  narrowly  escaped  capture.  They 
were  caught  in  the  thick  of  the  retreat,  and  reached 
the  lines  as  the  enemy  were  about  to  surround  them. 
Captain  Grosvenor  was  with  a  detachment  of  rangers 
who  were  nearly  entrapped.  Lieutenants  Peck  and 
Newell  were  doubtless  with  Huntington's  regiment, 
which  lost  heavily  in  prisoners,  although  they  es 
caped.  So  also  Lieutenants  Selden  and  Sill,  in  Par 
son's  old  regiment,  and  Captain  Huntington  and 
Lieut.  Heart  in  Wyllys'.  Probably  Captain  Hez- 
ekiah  Wyllys,  brother  of  Col.  Samuel,  was  with 
Chester's  regiment,  as  the  Adjutant,  Benjamin  Tall- 
madge,  certainly  was.  "  This  was  the  first  time  in 
my  life,"  says  the  latter,  "  that  I  had  witnessed  the 
awful  scene  of  a  battle,  when  man  was  engaged 

1  "Campaign  of  1776  around  New  York  and  Brooklyn."    L.  I.  Historical 
Society. 


Events  in  1776-77.  47 

to  destroy  his  fellow  man.  I  well  remember  my 
sensations  on  the  occasion,  for  they  were  solemn  be 
yond  description,  and  very  hardly  could  I  bring  my 
mind  to  be  willing  to  attempt  the  life  of  a  fellow- 
creature."  x  The  Adjutant,  however,  will  develop 
fighting  qualities  before  long.  In  the  afternoon  the 
enemy  approached  the  fortified  line,  but  were  checked 
by  a  sharp  fire  from  the  forts.  Col.  Hitchcock  seems 
to  have  been  directing  matters  in  person  at  Fort 
Putnam  on  the  left,  where  he  received  some  injury 
which  obliged  him  to  retire.  Two  days  later  he 
wrote  to  Col.  Little  at  Fort  Greene  : 

"  The  Wrench  I  recd  in  my  Back  by  the  Starting  of  my  Horse 
at  my  Gun  just  as  I  was  mounting  him,  was  so  great  that  I 
scarcely  got  off  from  my  Bed  next  Day,  but  feel  much  better  of 
it  now  ;  I  hear  the  Regulars  have  built  a  Fort  on  the  Hill  east  of 
Fort  Putnam  ;  I  am  astonished  that  our  People  are  not  building 
two  Forts  where  you  &  I  have  always  contended  for  Forts  to  be 
built.  For  Heaven's  Sake  apply  to  the  Generals  yourself  &  urge 
the  Necessity  of  it." 

The  Colonel  had  been  ordered  to  New  Jersey 
some  days  before  the  battle,  but  was  soon  called 
back  to  the  Brooklyn  front.  During  his  absence  he 
sent  a  note  to  Little,  wishing  him  all  happi 
ness  in  case  of  a  battle.  "  I  know,"  he  said,  "  you 
will  all  play  the  man — the  critical  Hour  of  America  is 
come  ;  beat  'em  once,  they  are  gone." 

By  two  o'clock  on  the  27th  the  battle  was  over,  as 
the  enemy  made  no  serious  attempt  to  carry  the 
works.  Washington  sent  to  New  York  for  addi 
tional  troops,  and  by  night  there  were  about  nine 
thousand  men  on  that  side.  Among  the  graduates 

1  "  Memoir  of  Col.  Benjamin  Tallmadge."  New  York,  1858. 


48  Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

were  Generals  Scott  and  Wadsworth,  Lieut-Colonels 
Chandler  and  Russell,  Brigade-Major  John  P.  Wyllys, 
Captains  Hull  and  Hale,  probably  Captains  Munson 
and  Gray,  Lieutenants  Morris,  Barker,  and  a  few 
others,  in  addition  to  those  already  named  as  being 
at  the  Brooklyn  lines  and  in  the  battle. 

The  retreat  from  Long  Island  was  effected  on  the 
night  of  the  29th.  Washington  had  already  decided 
on  this  move,  but  he  called  a  council  of  war  to  con 
firm  it.  Generals  Scott  and  Wadsworth  were  both 
present.  The  former,  as  far  as  known,  is  the  only 
member  who  has  left  us  any  thing  in  regard  to 
what  transpired  on  the  occasion  beyond  the  final 
result.  In  a  letter  to  John  Jay,  published  in  the 
third  volume  of  the  "  Long  Island  Historical  Soci 
ety's  Memoirs,"  he  says : 

"  I  was  summoned  to  a  Council  of  War  at  Mr.  Philip  Living 
ston's  house  on  Thursday,  29th  ult.,  never  having  had  reason  to 
expect  a  proposition  for  a  retreat  till  it  was  mentioned.  .  .  . 
As  it  was  suddenly  proposed,  /  as  suddenly  objected  to  it,  from  an 
aversion  to  giving  the  enemy  a  single  inch  of  ground ;  but 
was  soon  convinced  by  the  unanswerable  reasons  for  it.  They  were 
these.  Invested  by  an  enemy  of  above  double  our  number  from 
water  to  water,  scant  in  almost  every  necessary  of  life,  and  with 
out  covering,  and  liable  every  moment  to  have  the  communica 
tion  between  us  and  the  city  cut  off  by  the  entrance  of  the  frigates 
into  the  East  River  between  Governor's  Island  and  Long  Island  ; 
which  General  McDougall  assured  us  from  his  own  nautic  expe 
rience  was  very  feasible.  In  such  a  situation  we  should  have 
been  reduced  to  the  alternative  "of  desperately  attempting  to  cut 
our  way  [through]  a  vastly  superior  enemy,  with  the  certain  loss 
of  a  valuable  stock  of  artillery  and  artillery  stores,  which  the  con 
tinent  has  been  collecting  with  great  pains  ;  or  by  famine  and 
fatigue  have  been  made  an  easy  prey  to  the  enemy.  In  either 
case  the  campaign  would  have  ended  in  the  total  ruin  of  our 


Events  in  1776-77.  49 

army.  The  resolution,  therefore,  to  retreat  was  unanimous,  and 
tho'  formed  late  in  the  day,  was  executed  the  following  night  with 
unexpected  success." 

As  we  know,  this  retreat  was  skilfully  managed, 
the  point  of  embarkation  being  the  site  of  the  pres 
ent  Brooklyn  Ferry  House.  Col.  Tallmadge,  then 
Adjutant,  gives  this  description  of  it  in  his 
"Memoirs"  : 

"  To  move  so  large  a  body  of  troops,  with  all  their  necessary 
appendages,  across  a  river  full  a  mile  wide,  with  a  rapid  current, 
in  face  of  a  victorious,  well  disciplined  army,  nearly  three  times 
as  numerous  as  his  own,  and  a  fleet  capable  of  stopping  the  navi 
gation,  so  that  not  one  boat  could  have  passed  over,  seemed  to 
present  most  formidable  obstacles.  But,  in  the  face  of  these 
difficulties,  the  Commander-in-Chief  so  arranged  his  business, 
that  on  the  evening  of  the  29th,  by  10  o'clock,  the  troops  began 
to  retire  from  the  lines  in  such  a  manner  that  no  chasm  was 
made  in  the  lines,  but  as  one  regiment  left  their  station  on  guard, 
the  remaining  troops  moved  to  the  right  and  left  and  filled  up 
the  vacancies,  while  Gen.  Washington  took  his  station  at  the 
ferry,  and  superintended  the  embarkation  of  the  troops.  It  was 
one  of  the  most  anxious,  busy  nights  that  I  ever  recollect,  and 
being  the  third  in  which  hardly  any  of  us  had  closed  our  eyes  to 
sleep,  we  were  all  greatly  fatigued.  As  the  dawn  of  the  next  day 
approached,  those  of  us  who  remained  in  the  trenches  became 
very  anxious  for  our  own  safety,  and  when  the  dawn  appeared 
there  were  several  regiments  still  on  duty.  At  this  time  a  very 
dense  fog  began  to  rise,  and  it  seemed  to  settle  in  a  peculiar 
manner  over  both  encampments.  I  recollect  this  peculiar  provi 
dential  occurrence  perfectly  well  ;  and  so  very  dense  was  the 
atmosphere  I  could  scarcely  discern  a  man  at  six  yards'  distance. 

"  When  the  sun  rose  we  had  just  received  orders  to  leave  the 
lines,  but  before  we  reached  the  ferry,  the  Commander-in-Chief 
sent  one  of  his  Aids  to  order  the  regiment  to  repair  again  to 
their  former  station  on  the  lines.  Col.  Chester  immediately  faced 
to  the  right  about  and  returned,  where  we  tarried  until  the  sun 
had  risen,  but  the  fog  remained  as  dense  as  ever.  Finally,  the 


50  Yale  in  the  RevohUion. 

second  order  arrived  for  the  regiment  to  retire,  and  we  very  joy 
fully  bid  those  trenches  a  long  adieu.  When  we  reached  Brook 
lyn  ferry,  the  boats  had  not  returned  from  their  last  trip,  but  they 
very  soon  appeared  and  took  the  whole  regiment  over  to  New 
York  ;  and  I  think  I  saw  Gen.  Washington  on  the  ferry  stairs 
when  I  stepped  into  one  of  the  last  boats  that  received  the 
troops.  I  left  my  horse  tied  to  a  post  at  the  ferry. 

"  The  troops  having  now  all  safely  reached  New  York,  and  the 
fog  continuing  as  thick  as  ever,  I  began  to  think  of  my  favorite 
horse,  and  requested  leave  to  return  and  bring  him  off.  Having 
obtained  permission,  I  called  for  a  crew  of  volunteers  to  go  with 
me,  and  guiding  the  boat  myself,  I  obtained  my  horse  and  got  off 
some  distance  into  the  river  before  the  enemy  appeared  in 
Brooklyn. 

"  As  soon  as  they  reached  the  ferry,  we  were  saluted  merrily 
from  their  musketry,  and  finally  by  their  field  pieces  ;  but  we  re 
turned  in  safety.  In  the  history  of  warfare,  I  do  not  recollect  a 
more  fortunate  retreat." 

From  this  time  to  the  middle  of  December  the 
British  drove  Washington  from  one  position  to 
another.  With  Brooklyn  Heights  in  their  hands, 
New  York  could  not  be  held,  and  on  September 
1 5th,  when  the  enemy  landed  at  the  foot  of  East 
Thirty-Fourth  Street,  our  rear  forces  retreated  to 
Washington  Heights  above  Harlem,  where  the  main 
army  had  already  gone.  On  our  part  it  was  very 
much  of  a  panic,  the  militia,  as  well  as  several  of  the 
older  regiments,  being  caught  at  a  disadvantage. 
Washington  could  not  get  them  to  stand  against  the 
regulars  in  the  open  field.  There  was  much  running 
that  day,  several  of  our  graduates  doing  their  share 
of  it,  no  doubt ;  but  we  shall  see  how  they  retrieved 
themselves  in  later  campaigns.  Young  Selden, 
Sill,  Morris,  Heart,  Barker,  Newell,  and  others,  were 
among  the  number.  Brigade-Major  John  P.  Wyllys 


Events  in   1776-77*  51 

was  taken  prisoner.  Col.  Silliman  and  his  command 
passed  through  the  hardest  and  most  exciting  experi 
ences,  as  they  were  the  last  to  leave  the  city.  They 
succeeded  in  retreating  on  the  west  side  through  the 
woods,  though  constantly  in  danger  of  capture. 
11  What  fatigues,  what  perils,  what  risks,"  says  the 
Colonel,  three  days  later,  "  did  I  run  thro'  last  Sab 
bath — a  day  never  to  be  forgotten  by  me.  Some 
times  I  was  in  the  front,  sometimes  in  the  centre,  and 
sometimes  in  the  rear  of  my  party,  which  extended 
near  2  miles  in  length,  as  I  marched  thro'  the 
woods."  x  David  Humphreys  began  his  revolution 
ary  career  in  this  retreat  as  a  volunteer  adjutant  in 
Silliman's  brigade.  He  speaks  of  it  in  his  "  Life  of 
General  Putnam."  "  Before  our  brigade  came  in," 
he  says,  "we  were  given  up  for  lost  by  all  our 
friends.  So  critical  indeed  was  our  situation,  and  so 
narrow  the  gap  by  which  we  escaped,  that  the  instant 
we  had  passed,  the  enemy  closed  it  by  extending 
their  line  from  river  to  river." 

On  the  following  day,  September  i6th,  occurred 
the  battle  of  Harlem  Heights,  which  was  so  much  of 
a  success  for  us  that  the  soldiers  forgot  the  experi 
ences  of  the  day  before  and  quickly  recovered  their 
spirits.  The  fighting  was  brought  on  by  Colonel 
Knowlton's  Rangers  who  stirred  up  the  advance 
parties  of  the  enemy,  and  then,  with  the  assistance 
of  other  troops,  defeated  them  on  Bloomingdale 
heights  below  Manhattanville.  Among  the  officers 
of  the  Rangers — a  small  but  picked  body  of  about 

1  For  other  interesting  extracts  from  Col.  Silliman's  letters  in  this  campaign, 
see  third  vol.  of  the  "  L.  I.  Hist.  Soc.  Memoirs,"  already  referred  to. 


52  Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

one  hundred  and  thirty  men — was  Captain  Thomas 
Grosvenor,  class  of  1765,  who  figured  at  Bunker 
Hill. 

There  should  have  been  in  this  action  another 
officer  of  Knowlton's  corps,  graduate  of  1773,  who 
would  have  taken  special  delight  in  driving  the  British 
back  to  their  camp,  but  who  was  just  then  absent 
from  the  army  on  a  dangerous  errand. 

This  was  NATHAN  HALE. 

A  cherished  name  we  have  here,  and  a  story  so 
generally  familiar  that  its  repetition  seems  almost 
superfluous.  For  the  purposes  of  the  record,  the 
details  of  the  case  are  presented  in  the  biographical 
sketch  of  Hale,  while  in  this  connection  it  may  suffice 
to  notice  the  associations  through  which  his  memory 
has  been  perpetuated. 

Young  Hale,  of  Coventry,  Conn.,  captain  in  Col. 
Charles  Webb's  regiment,  had  been  in  the  army  more 
than  a  year  without  having  rendered,  as  he  felt,  any 
real  service  to  the  country.  Soon  after  the  battle  of 
Long  Island  he  joined  the  Rangers,  with  whom  he 
hoped  to  be  more  active  in  the  field.  Learning  that 
Washington  was  anxious  to  ascertain  the  exact  dis 
position  and  probable  designs  of  the  enemy,  he  vol 
unteered  to  enter  their  lines  in  disguise  and  obtain 
the  information.  Crossing  from  Stamford  to  Long 
Island,  he  made  his  observations  in  Howe's  camp, 
and  was  about  to  return  when  he  was  detected,  con 
demned  as  a  spy,  and  executed  in  New  York  on  the 
22d  of  September.  A  British  officer  who  brought 
word  of  his  fate  to  the  American  lines,  stated  that 
after  his  arrest  Hale  conducted  himself  with  dignity, 


Events  in  1776-77.  53 

gave  his  name,  rank,  and  mission,  and  finally,  just 
before  his  execution,  expressed  the  sentiment  that 
has  immortalized  him  as  one  of  the  noblest  sacrifices 
of  the  Revolution.  "  I  only  regret,"  was  the  sub 
stance  of  his  words,  "  that  I  have  but  one  life  to  lose 
for  my  country." 

But  slight  public  notice  was  taken  of  Hale's  fate 
at  the  time,  and  for  four  years  after  the  records  make 
no  reference  to  him  whatever.  This  was  not  alto 
gether  strange.  Under  the  laws  of  war  his  execution 
could  not  be  condemned,  and  failed  to  become  a 
subject  of  official  communication.  The  news  shocked 
his  friends  in  the  army,  and,  doubtless,  as  they 
learned  of  his  noble  act  of  devotion,  his  memory 
became  doubly  endeared  to  them.  But  possibly,  also, 
they  felt  that  he  had  made  a  mistake,  that  the  situa 
tion  did  not  demand  the  sacrifice,  and  that  to  make 
much  of  his  martyrdom  might  appear  to  be  an  exalta 
tion  of  the  role  of  a  spy.  Time  would  do  his  char 
acter  justice  ;  and  so  Hale's  fate  passed  out  of  mind 
as  one  of  the  sadder  "  casualties  "  of  the  campaign. 

In  September,  1780,  the  American  army  was 
startled  by  the  announcement  of  the  arrest  of  Major 
Andre,  Adjutant-General  of  the  British  forces,  as  a 
spy.  His  trial  and  execution  followed.  Every 
attempt  was  made  by  the  enemy  to  save  his  life,  and 
in  our  own  camp,  his  youth,  address,  and  rank  excited 
universal  sympathy.  But  here  was  Hale's  case  pre 
cisely,  or  in  all  its  essentials.  Andre  as  a  spy  at 
once  gave  dignity  and  character  to  Hale  as  a  spy  ; 
little  could  be  said  for  the  one  that  could  not  be  said 
for  the  other.  The  latter's  memory  was  immedi- 


54  Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

ately  revived,  and,  we  may  imagine,  with  a  freedom 
and  satisfaction  which  could  not  well  be  assumed  in 
1776.  It  happened  that  Major  Benjamin  Tallmadge, 
one  of  H  ale's  classmates  and  closest  friends,  was 
Andre's  real  captor,  while  most  of  his  college  com 
panions  and  several  of  the  officers  of  his  old  regiment 
who  were  in  the  service  with  him  in  1776  were  still 
to  be  found  in  Washington's  camp.  Some  had  been 
promoted  to  responsible  positions.  No  doubt  they 
all  had  much  to  say  for  Hale  at  a  moment  when  so 
much  kindly  feeling  was  extended  to  Andre.  While 
there  is  do  direct  evidence  that  the  court  which  con 
demned  Andre  was  at  all  influenced  by  H  ale's  case 
as  a  precedent,  it  seems  certain  that  they  knew  of  it 
(Lafayette,  for  one,  as  he  states  in  his  "  Memoirs"), 
and  that  among  officers  generally  the  cases  were  dis 
cussed  and  regarded  as  parallel.  From  that  time 
Male's  memory  became  in  some  sort  a  Revolutionary 
heirloom. 

As  confirming  these  statements,  it  is  interesting  to 
notice,  that,  as  far  as  known,  it  was  at  this  time  that 
the  first  extended  mention  of  H  ale's  fate  appeared  in 
print,  and  in  the  same  relation  to  Andre's  name  in 
which  it  has  been  almost  invariably  mentioned  ever 
since.  The  extract  is  from  the  Boston  Chronicle  as 
reprinted  in  the  London  Remembrancer  in  1 782.  After 
noticing  the  consideration  paid  to  Andre  the  writer 
proceeds  : 

"  But  while  we  pay  the  debt  of  humanity  to  our  enemies,  let  us 
not  forget  what  we  owe  to  our  friends.  .About  four  years  ago, 
CAPT.  HALE,  an  American  officer,  of  a  liberal  education,  younger 
than  Andre,  and  equal  to  him  in  sense,  fortitude,  and  every  manly 


Events  in  1776-77.  55 

accomplishment,  though  without  opportunities  of  being  so  highly 
polished,  voluntarily  went  into  the  city  of  New  York,  with  a  view 
to  serve  his  invaded  country.  He  performed  his  part  there  with 
great  capacity  and  address,  but  was  accidentally  discovered.  In 
this  trying  circumstance  he  exhibited  all  the  firmness  of  Andre, 
without  the  aid  of  a  single  countenance  around  him  that  spoke 
either  respect  or  compassion,  and  though  every  thing  that  was 
said  or  done  to  him  was  adapted  to  make  him  feel  that  he 
was  considered  as  a  traitor  and  a  rebel.  Andre  appeared  great 
in  not  contesting  the  clear  grounds  upon  which  he  was  con 
demned,  and  in  refusing  to  employ  the  absurd  and  frivolous 
pleas  that  Clinton  would  have  put  into  his  mouth.  Hale, 
though  not  at  all  disconcerted,  made  no  plea  for  himself,  and 
firmly  rejected  the  advantageous  offers  made  him  by  the  enemy 
upon  condition  of  his  entering  into  their  service.  Andre  earn 
estly  wished  the  mode  of  his  death  might  have  been  more  like 
that  of  a  soldier  ;  but  consoled  himself  by  observing,  that  in 
either  way  it  would  be  "but  a  moment's  pang."  Hale,  calm  and 
collected,  took  no  notice  of  either  of  those  circumstances.  Andre 
as  he  was  going  to  die,  with  great  presence  of  mind  and  the  most 
engaging  air,  bowed  to  all  around  him,  and  returned  the  respect 
that  had  been  and  was  still  paid  to  him  ;  and  said  :  "  Gentlemen, 
you  will  bear  witness  that  I  die  with  the  firmness  becoming  a  sol 
dier."  Hale  had  received  no  such  respects,  and  had  none  to  re 
turn  ;  but  just  before  he  expired,  said,  aloud  :  "  I  am  so  satisfied 
with  the  cause  in  which  I  have  engaged,  that  my  only  regret  is, 
that  I  have  not  more  lives  than  one  to  offer  in  its  service." 

It  was  during  the  interval  between  the  battle  of 
Long  Island  and  the  loss  of  New  York  that  David 
Bushnell,  class  of  1775,  attempted  to  prove  the  utility 
of  a  torpedo  boat  he  invented  while  in  college.  He 
proposed  to  blow  up  one  of  the  British  ships  of  war 
down  the  bay,  but  the  practical  operator  not  having 
become  sufficiently  familiar  with  the  working  of  the 
machine,  the  attempt  failed.  Bushnell  continued  his 
experiments  and  showed  much  ingenuity  as  a  mech- 


56  Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

anician.  He  is  regarded,  by  competent  military 
critics,  as  the  originator  of  modern  submarine  war 
fare.  Gen.  Henry  L.  Abbot,  of  the  Corps  of  En 
gineers  in  our  own  army,  conceding  this  distinction 
to  Bushnell,  has  become  so  far  interested  in  his 
various  efforts  as  to  collect  and  print  all  accounts  re 
ferring  to  them,  for  the  benefit  of  the  Engineer  School 
of  Application  at  Willet's  Point,  L.  I.  His  conclu 
sions  in  the  case  are  :  (i)  that  Bushnell  was  the  first 
to  perceive  and  illustrate  by  experiment  that  the  press 
ure  of  water  alone  may  develop  an  intensity  of  action 
in  a  submarine  explosion  sufficient  to  destroy  a  vessel 
in  the  vicinity  ;  (2)  that  it  was  he  who  gave  the  name 
" torpedo"  to  a  case  containing  a  charge  of  gun 
powder  to  be  fired  under  water  ;  (3)  that  he  in 
troduced  the  use  of  submarine  boats,  and  of  drifting 
torpedoes  both  coupled  by  a  line  and  floating  freely 
with  the  tide,  for  attacking  hostile  shipping.1  Bush 
nell  subsequently  became  a  Captain  in  the  Corps  of 
Sappers  and  Miners,  under  Washington's  Chief  of 
Engineers. 

After  the  capture  of  New  York  the  enemy  moved 
toward  White  Plains,  where  the  battle  of  Oct.  28th 
occurred  between  portions  of  the  two  armies. 
Among  graduates  engaged  were  Cols.  Silliman, 
Chandler,  and  Chester,  Capt.  Hull,  Brigade-Major 
Tallmadge,  and  some  others.  The  victory  was 
claimed  by  both  sides,  but  Washington  again  re- 


"  The  Beginning  of  Modern   Submarine  Warfare,  under  Captain   David 
Bushnell,  Sappers  and  Miners,  Army  of  the  Revolution.     Being  a  Historical 
Compilation  Arranged  by  Lieut. -Colonel  Henry  L.  Abbot,  Corps  of  Engineers, 
U.  S.  A.,  Brevet  Brigadier  General.     1881." 
See  Biographical  Sketch  of  Bushnell. 


Events  in  777^-77.  57 

treated  to  North  Castle,  and  finally  withdrew  into 
New  Jersey.  To  the  misfortunes  of  the  campaign 
was  added  the  loss  of  Fort  Washington  with  many 
prisoners,  among  whom  were  most  of  Col.  Bradley's 
regiment.  The  Colonel  being  absent  sick,  escaped 
capture.  Washington  continued  his  retreat  to  the 
Delaware  and  into  Pennsylvania,  with  but  the  rem 
nant  of  an  army  under  his  command.  The  British 
following  closely,  appeared,  by  the  middle  of  Decem 
ber,  to  be  complete  masters  of  the  situation. 

In  this  depressing  moment  Washington  did  not 
stand  alone.  Strong  men  extended  their  sympathy 
and  support.  Gov.  Livingston,  for  one,  dropped 
him  a  line  of  cheer  as  he  passed  down  through  New 
ark.  Congress  was  devising  means  for  giving  him  a 
better  army  the  next  year,  and  its  members  wrote 
hopeful  letters.  Two  from  Wolcott  may  illustrate, 
one  written  before  the  campaign  opened,  and  the 
other  at  the  close.  May  4,  1776,  he  says  : 

"  In  such  tempestuous  Times  no  one  can  say  what  the  events 
of  things  may  be,  tho'  I  have  no  apprehension  that  Great  Britain 
can  subjugate  this  country  ;  to  give  us  much  trouble  is  doubtless 
in  her  power,  and  a  people  engaged  in  war  must  not  always  ex 
pect  prosperity  in  all  their  undertakings.  God  has  indeed  in  a 
wonderful  manner  hitherto  granted  us  his  protection,  and  I  hope 
he  will  still  continue  it.  Possess  your  own  mind  in  peace.  For 
titude  not  only  enables  us  to  bear  evils,  but  prevents  oftentimes 
those  which  would  otherwise  befal  us.  I  do  not  apprehend  any 
personal  danger,  and  if  I  did,  I  hope  I  never  shall  betray  that 
baseness  as  to  shrink  from  it,  but  I  do  think  it  is  not  unlikely 
we  may  have  a  troublesome  summer.  And  if  so,  let  every  one 
bear  his  part  of  the  publick  calamity  with  fortitude." 

Wolcott  was  a  short  time  with  the  army  at  New 


58  Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

York,  and  then  returned  to  Congress.  The  news  of 
the  defeats  does  not  seem  to  have  depressed  him, 
and  on  Dec.  13,  after  New  York  and  New  Jersey 
were  lost  to  the  enemy,  he  still  wrote  with  a  brave 
heart : 

"  Whatever  events  may  take  place,  the  American  cause  will  be 
supported  to  the  last,  and  I  trust  in  God  that  it  will  succeed. 
The  Grecian,  Roman,  and  Dutch  states  were  in  their  infancy  re 
duced  to  the  greatest  Distress,  infinitely  beyond  what  we  have 
yet  experienced.  The  God  who  governs  the  Universe,  and 
who  holds  Empires  in  his  Hand,  can  with  the  least  effort  of  his 
will  grant  us  all  that  security,  opulence,  and  Renown  which  they 
have  enjoyed.  The  present  scene,  it  is  true,  appears  somewhat 
gloomy  ;  but  the  natural  or  more  obvious  Cause  seems  to  be  owing 
to  the  term  of  enlistment  of  the  Army  having  expired.  I  hope  we 
may  have  a  most  respectable  one  before  long  established.  The 
Business  of  war  is  the  result  of  Experience."  * 

But  presently,  as  we  know,  there  came  an  unex 
pected  turn  of  affairs  in  the  battles  of  Trenton  and 
Princeton.  With  twenty-four  hundred  troops  Wash 
ington  crossed  the  Delaware  on  Christmas  night,  and 
in  a  storm  of  snow  and  sleet  dashed  into  Trenton 
and  captured  nearly  one  thousand  Hessians.  This 
was  a  brilliant  stroke,  which  in  a  few  days  was  to  be 
followed  by  another  of  still  greater  importance  in  its 
moral  effect.  Returning  to  Trenton,  Washington, 
on  the  night  of  Jan.  2d,  found  himself  in  a  hazardous 
position  on  the  east  side  of  Assanpink  Creek,  with 
Cornwallis  facing  him  and  blocking  his  escape  should 
he  be  defeated  in  the  expected  battle  on  the  next 
day.  Safety  lay  in  outwitting  Cornwallis  during  the 
night.  The  stratagem  of  the  camp  fires,  the  silent 

1  Letters  from  Gen.  Oliver  Wolcott  to  his  wife,  in  the  "  Wolcott  Memorial." 


Events  in  1776-77.  59 

withdrawal  from  the  enemy's  front,  the  night  march 
to  Princeton,  the  cut  through  the  British  lines,  the 
march  on  to  Morristown,  the  recovery  of  New 
Jersey,  and  the  baffling  of  all  Howe's  plans,  are  a 
familiar  story.  Walpole,  hearing  of  these  surprises, 
wrote :  "  Washington  has  shown  himself  both  a 
Fabius  and  a  Camillus.  His  march  through  our  lines 
is  allowed  to  have  been  a  prodigy  of  generalship." 

Among  our  graduates  participating  in  these  ma 
noeuvres  were  Cols.  Hitchcock,  Chester,  and  Paterson, 
Major  Sherman,  Capts.  Hull,  Grosvenor  and  Ashley, 
and  probably  Chaplain  Avery,  Lieutenants  Watson, 
Elderkin,  Flint,  and  others.  Wilkinson  states  in  his 
"  Memoirs,"  that  Sherman  led  the  van  of  the  army  on 
the  night  march  to  Princeton.  He  was  then  in 
Glover's  brigade.  Hull  leaves  us  a  letter  fresh  from 
the  Trenton  field  as  follows  : 

.  .  .  " .  .  .  On  the  evening  of  the  25th  ult.,  we  were 
ordered  to  March  to  a  ferry  [McConkey's]  about  twelve  miles 
from  Trenton,  where  was  stationed  near  two  Thousand  Hessians. 
As  violent  a  Storm  ensued  of  Hail  &  Snow  as  ever  I  felt.  The 
Artillery  and  Infantry  all  were  across  the  Ferry  about  12  O'clock, 
consisting  of  only  twenty-one  hundred,  principally  New  Eng 
land  Troops.  In  this  Violent  Storm  we  marched  on  for  Trenton. 
Before  Light  in  the  Morning  we  gained  all  the  Roads  leading 
from  Trenton.  The  Genl.  gave  orders  that  every  Officer's  Watch 
should  be  set  by  his,  and  the  moment  of  attack  was  fixed.  Just 
after  Light,  we  came  to  their  out  Guard,  which  fired  upon  us 
and  retreated.  The  first  sound  of  the  Musquetry  and  Retreat  of 
the  Guards  animated  the  Men  and  they  pushed  on  with  Resolu 
tion  and  Firmness.  Happily  the  fire  begun  on  every  Side  at  the 
same  instant,  their  Main  body  had  just  time  to  form  when  there 
ensued  a  heavy  Cannonade  from  our  Field  Pieces  and  a  fine  brisk 
and  lively  fire  from  our  Infantry.  This  Continued  but  a  Short 
time  before  the  Enemy  finding  themselves  flanked  on  every  Side 


60          Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

laid  down  their  Arms.  The  Resolution  and  Bravery  of  our  Men, 
their  Order  and  Regularity  gave  me  the  highest  Sensation  of 
Pleasure.  Genl.  Washington  highly  Congratulated  the  Men  on 
the  next  day  in  Genl.  Orders,  and  with  Pleasure  observed,  that 
he  had  been  in  Many  Actions  before,  but  always  perceived 
some  Misbehaviour  in  some  individuals,  but  in  that  Action  he 
saw  none.  .  .  .  What  can't  Men  do  when  engaged  in  so 
noble  a  Cause.  Our  Men's  Time  expired  Yesterday  ;  they  have 
generally  engaged  to  Tarry  six  weeks  longer.  My  company 
almost  to  a  Man.  Orders  have  now  come  for  us  to  march 
for  Princetown.  .  . 

Perhaps  no  one  at  Princeton  did  more  effective 
service  than  Col.  Daniel  Hitchcock.  He  has  been 
mentioned  as  one  of  Greene's  favorite  officers  from 
Rhode  Island,  present  at  the  siege  of  Boston  and 
through  the  New  York  campaign.  His  regiment 
constructed  and  manned  the  left  of  the  lines  at 
Brooklyn,  and  just  now  he  was  commanding  a  brigade. 
One  of  his  old  soldiers  remembers  him  as  "  an 
accomplished  gentleman  "  and  "  fine  officer,"  equalled 
by  few  in  the  army.  On  the  morning  of  Jan.  3d,  as 
the  troops  neared  Princeton,  Mawhood's  British  regi 
ment  delayed  the  column.  It  repulsed  Mercer's 
brigade  as  well  as  Cadwallader's  militia.  This  prov 
ing  too  serious  a  matter,  Washington  personally 
assisted  in  rallying  the  men,  and  at  the  same  time 
sent  word  to  Hitchcock  to  attack  the  enemy  on  the 
right.  Hitchcock  immediately  drew  up  his  com 
mand,  reduced  now  to  less  than  six  hundred  men, 
and  advancing  to  within  one  hundred  yards  of  the 
British,  opened  fire,  "  rushed  on  with  intrepidity,"  as 

1  Letter  from  Capt.  Wm.  Hull  to  Hon.  Andrew  Adams,  Litchfield,  Conn., 
Trenton,  Jan.  I,  1777.  In  "  Legacy  of  Historical  Gleanings,"  by  Mrs.  C.  V. 
R.  Bonney,  vol.  i.,  p.  57.  Munsell,  Albany,  1875. 


Events  in  1776-77.  61 

one  of  his  own  officers  says,  drove  them  from  the  field, 
and  captured  their  two  pieces  of  artillery.  The 
militia  recovered  themselves  and  also  rushed  forward. 
Hitchcock's  timely  and  successful  attack  helped  to 
clear  the  way  and  the  troops  all  passed  on  to  Prince 
ton.  We  are  told  that  after  the  action  Washington 
took  Hitchcock  by  the  hand  in  front  of  Princeton 
College  and  publicly  thanked  him  and  his  brigade  for 
their  gallant  conduct.  These  troops  had  also  bravely 
defended  the  bridge  across  the  Assanpink  on  the 
previous  evening.  Their  service  seems  to  have 
become  known  and  appreciated,  as  we  find  Dr.  Benj. 
Rush  writing,  Jan.  6th,  from  Bordentown,  to  Richard 
Henry  Lee,  of  Virginia,  as  follows  :  "  Much  credit  is 
due  to  a  brigade  of  New  England  men  commanded 
by  Colonel  Hitchcock  in  both  actions  [Jan.  2d,  P.M. 
and  Jan.  3d,  A.M.]  ;  they  sustained  a  heavy  fire  from 
musketry  and  artillery  for  a  long  time  without  mov 
ing  ;  they  are  entitled  to  a  great  share  of  the  honour 
acquired  by  our  arms  at  Princetown." 

These  return  strokes  put  a  glorious  finish  to  an 
otherwise  gloomy  campaign.  The  men  of  the  Revo 
lution  attached  the  greatest  importance  to  them,  as 
we  know  from  many  sources.  Among  others,  Col. 
Chester  tells  us  something  of  their  immediate  effect 
in  a  letter  to  Col.  Webb,  his  old  Bunker  Hill  lieuten 
ant,  but  now  aid  to  Washington,  as  follows  : 

"  We  all  Congratulate  you  on  the  honor  you  have  lately  shared 
in  the  victories  over  our  Common  Enemy,  and  pray  for  a  continu 
ation  of  successes,  till  they  may  be  obliged  to  quit  the  Land  or 
kneel  to  Great  George  the  American.  You  Cannot  conceive  the 
Joy  &  Raptures  the  people  were  universally  in  as  we  passed  the 


62  Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

road.  'T  is  good  to  be  the  messenger  of  Glad  Tidings.  We 
were  the  first  that  brought  the  news  to  Peeks  Kill  of  ye  Trenton 
affair.  Gen1  Heath  thought  it  a  matter  well  worth  forwarding  by 
Express  to  Boston,  which  he  did.  We  have  such  vague,  uncertain 
accounts  of  these  matters  in  general  that  I  cannot  but  think  that 
it  would  richly  pay  the  expence  of  forwarding  accounts  of  this 
kind  by  express.  They  make  an  amazing  alteration  in  the  faces 
of  men  &  things.  .  .  .  " 

This  campaign  entailed  the  loss  of  many  good 
officers  and  men,  especially  from  hardship  and  dis 
ease.  Among  the  graduates,  Col.  Fisher  Gay,  of 
Farmington,  was  the  first  whose  death  is  recorded. 
Taken  ill  a  short  time  before  the  battle  of  Long 
Island,  he  either  died  or  was  buried  on  the  day  of 
the  battle,  August  27th.  "  Freedom  or  Death,"  are 
the  words  inscribed  on  his  sword,  still  preserved  by 
his  descendants.  Capt.  Jabez  Hamlin  died  in  camp 
September  2Oth.  Capt.  Nathan  Hale's  name  appears 
for  the  last  time  on  the  rolls  of  his  regiment  as 
"  Killed,  Sept.  22,  1776."  Chaplain  Ebenezer  Bald 
win,  a  much  loved  pastor  of  Danbury,  who  went  into 
the  service  with  his  parishioners,  fell  a  victim  to  camp 
malady  in  October.  Col.  Mark  Hopkins,  a  lawyer 
in  the  prime  of  life  and  reputation  in  Berkshire  Co., 
Mass.,  died  from  exhaustion  at  White  Plains,  Octo 
ber  27th,  the  day  before  the  battle.  Lieut.  Jonathan 
Bellamy,  son  of  the  well-known  divine,  died  of  small 
pox  in  New  Jersey,  January  4,  1777.  Last,  a  great 

1  Letter  dated  Wethersfield,  Jan.  17,  1777.     From  the  original  in  the  Webb 

IVLoo. 

Gen.  Heath  says  in  his  Memoirs,  Dec.  30,  1776  :  "Col.  Chester,  of  Connec 
ticut,  arrived  at  Peek's  Kill,  from  Gen.  Washington's  camp,  with  the  agreeable 
news,  that  the  preceding  Thursday  morning,  being  the  26th,  Gen.  Washington, 
at  the  head  of  about  3,000  men,  crossed  the  Delaware,  and  attacked  the  enemy 
at  Trenton,"  etc. 


Events  in  1776-77.  63 

loss,  indeed — the  noble  Hitchcock,  who  is  said  to 
have  been  suffering  from  fever  when  he  dashed  into 
the  Princeton  fight,  succumbed  to  the  severities  of 
the  campaign  and  died  at  Morristown,  January  13, 
1777.  ''He  was  buried,"  writes  Greene,  "with  all 
the  honors  of  war,  as  the  last  mark  of  respect  we 
could  show  him." 


EVENTS    IN    1777-78. 

The  New  Continental  Army — Graduates  in  its  Ranks — The  Danbury  Raid  and 
Death  of  Gen.  Wooster — Events  in  Pennsylvania — Battle  of  Germantown 
— Lieut.  Morris,  Prisoner — The  Burgoyne  Campaign — Graduates  Engaged 
— Letters  from  Gen.  Wolcott  and  Capt.  Seymour — Col.  Brown's  Ex 
ploit — The  Surrender — Washington's  Congratulations — Letters  from  Gens. 
Scott  and  Silliman. 

THE  disasters  of  1776  developed  the  need  of  a  dis 
ciplined  and  permanent  force  with  which  to  meet  the 
enemy  in  the  contests  to  come.  Congress  provided 
for  one  by  ordering  the  enlistment  of  eighty-eight 
battalions  of  infantry,  to  be  apportioned  among  the 
States,  of  which  Massachusetts  was  to  furnish  fifteen, 
Connecticut  eight,  New  York  four,  Pennsylvania 
twelve,  and  the  rest  in  like  ratio,  according  to  popu 
lation.  Sixteen  other  regiments  were  to  be  raised  on 
an  independent  basis,  in  addition  to  the  usual  artil 
lery  and  cavalry  complement.  Long  enlistments  were 
substituted  for  short  terms,  the  selection  of  officers 
was  made  with  more  regard  to  their  fitness,  a  stricter 
military  code  was  observed,  and  the  departments 
generally  reorganized.  This  new  army,  recruited  in 
the  early  months  of  1777,  was  known  as  the  "  second 
establishment  "  —that  of  1776,  organized  at  Boston, 
being  the  first, — and  is  familiar  to  us  as  the  regular 
Continental  Line  of  the  Revolution.  While  the 
troops  of  each  State  were,  as  far  as  possible,  brigaded 
together,  and  each  State  recruited  its  own  "  Line," 

64 


Events  in  1777-78.  65 

and  occasionally  clothed  and  provisioned  it,  as  an 
army  they  were  wholly  under  the  control  of  Congress 
and  the  Commander-in-chief.  Congress,  through  its 
President,  issued  the  officers'  commissions,  regulated 
promotions,  purchased  supplies  and  material,  and 
provided  the  pay.  It  was  this  force,  thus  placed 
upon  a  proper  footing,  that  was  to  be  Washington's 
main  dependence  through  the  war  ;  and  under  his 
cautious  and  skilful  leadership  it  proved  equal  to  the 
emergency.  At  times  defeated  and  frequently  re 
duced  to  privation,  it  was  as  often  victorious,  and  in 
the  end  saved  the  country. 

Looking  through  the  scattered  rolls  of  this  army— 
the  true  "  Continentals  "  of  the  war, — we  continue  to 
find  graduates  down  for  service,  many  of  whom,  being 
soldiers  of  1775  and  1776,  seem  in  this  way  to  have 
pledged  themselves  to  fight  it  out  to  the  end.  Gen 
eral  David  Wooster  was  still  a  Continental  brigadier. 
Colonel  John  Paterson  was,  in  March  of  this  year, 
promoted  to  the  same  rank.  The  Third,  Fifth,  and 
Eighth  of  the  new  regiments  of  the  Connecticut  Line 
were  commanded  respectively  by  Colonels  Samuel 
Wyllys,  Philip  B.  Bradley,  and  John  Chandler,  the 
latter  having  Giles  Russell,  a  veteran  of  the  French 
and  Indian  war,  and  of  the  last  campaign,  for 
his  lieutenant-colonel.  Major  Isaac  Sherman,  who 
served  the  previous  year  with  Massachusetts  troops, 
was  transferred  to  Connecticut,  and  became  Lieut.- 
Colonel  of  the  Second  Regiment.  On  the  other 
hand,  Captain  William  Hull  left  his  Connecticut 
associations  and  was  appointed  Major  of  the  Eighth 
Massachusetts.  Both  these  appointments  followed 


66  Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

upon  Washington's  recommendation,  and  both  men 
subsequently  did  noteworthy  service  and  received  fur 
ther  promotion.  Captains  Thomas  Grosvenor,  Eben- 
ezer  Huntington,  and  Ebenezer  Gray  appear  this 
year  as  majors,  and  the  former,  also  as  lieut. -colonel 
under  Wyllys.  Huntington  joined  Colonel  Samuel 
B.  Webb's  independent  or  "  additional  "  regiment, 
which  prided  itself  on  its  personnel,  and  made  a  good 
record.  It  was  quite  a  Yale  corps — its  major,  sur 
geon,  five  of  its  eight  captains,  and  two  or  more 
lieutenants  in  1777-78  being  graduates.  The  sur 
geon  was  Jeremiah  West  ;  the  captains,  John  P. 
Wyllys,  Thomas  Wooster,  Joseph  Walker,  James 
Watson,  Samuel  W.  Williams  ;  and  Lieutenant  Roger 
Welles,  who  became  captain  in  1 780.  Arranged  in 
other  regiments  of  the  State  Line  were  Captains 
Theophilus  Munson,  David  Humphreys,  Vine  Elder- 
kin,  Nathaniel  Webb,  William  Judd  ;  Lieutenants 
James  Morris,  Roger  Alden,  Augustine  Taylor, 
Moses  Cleaveland,  John  Mix,  and  Nathaniel  Chip- 
man.  Ezra  Selden,  Jonathan  Heart,  Samuel  A.  S. 
Barker,  Elihu  Marvin,  and  Nehemiah  Rice  were  five 
of  the  eight  Connecticut  adjutants,  all  of  whom  were 
subsequently  promoted.  William  Nichols  appears  as 
lieutenant  and  regimental  paymaster  ;  Richard  Sill, 
David  Judson,  and  John  Elderkin,  as  lieutenants  and 
quartermasters. 

On  the  rolls  of  the  Massachusetts  Line  were  to  be 
found,  in  addition  to  those  of  Paterson  and  Hull,  the 
names  of  John  Porter,  first  as  Captain  and  then  Major 
of  the  Thirteenth  Regiment ;  of  Moses  Ashley,  Cap 
tain  in  the  First ;  of  Daniel  Lyman,  Captain  in  Hen- 


Events  in   1777-78.  67 

ley's  "  additional "  regiment  and  aid  to  Gen.  Heath  ; 
and  of  Samuel  Cogswell,  Charles  Selden  and  John 
Barker,  three  young  graduates  of  this  year's  class, 
Lieutenants  in  Colonel  Henry  Jackson's  Continental 
battalion,  recruited  mainly  in  Boston  and  vicinity. 

In  the  cavalry — Colonel  Sheldon's  Second  Conti 
nental  Regiment  of  Dragoons — we  have  four  officers, 
namely  :  the  Major,  Benjamin  Tallmadge,  who  will 
make  himself  as  famous  as  a  soldier  could  wish  ;  Cap 
tains  Thomas  Young  Seymour  and  Ezekiel  Porter 
Belden,  and  Quartermaster  Samuel  Mills.  Captain 
Robert  Walker,  of  Stratford,  raised  an  artillery  com 
pany  and  joined  the  Second  Regiment  of  that  arm 
under  Colonel  Lamb. 

Several  graduates  were  associated  with  the  staff 
departments.  Peter  Colt,  a  public-spirited  merchant 
of  New  Haven,  received  the  appointment  from  Con 
gress  of  Commissary  of  Purchases  for  the  Eastern 
States.  Nathan  Preston  was  an  assistant  in  the  de 
partment  of  issues  and  supplies.  James  Davenport, 
and  probably  Benjamin  Welles  and  William  Little, 
served  for  a  term  in  similar  capacities  in  and  out  of 
Connecticut.  Royall  Flint  became  assistant  to  Col 
onel  Jeremiah  Wadsworth,  Quartermaster  -  General 
at  Army  Head-quarters.  Of  brigade-majors — assist 
ant  adjutant-generals  they  would  be  called  to-day— 
we  had  a  number  during  the  war.  Major  Ebenezer 
Gray  held  this  position  for  a  short  time  early  in 
1777,  in  the  First  Connecticut  Brigade,  and  was  suc 
ceeded  by  Captain  David  Humphreys,  for  whom 
more  enviable  honors  were  in  store.  In  Rhode 
Island,  William  Peck  became  Adjutant-General  of 


68  Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

the  troops  gathered  to  watch  the  enemy  who  had 
lately  seized  Newport. 

As  to  chaplains — where  in  the  previous  year  each 
regiment  was  entitled  to  one,  the  number  was  limited 
by  resolution  of  Congress,  May  27,  1777,  to  one  for 
each  brigade,  with  a  colonel's  pay  and  rations.  They 
were  to  be  nominated  to  Congress  by  the  generals 
commanding  the  brigades,  who  were  enjoined  to  rec 
ommend  none  but  "  clergymen  of  experience,  and 
established  public  character  for  piety,  virtue,  and 
learning."  Yale  was  represented  by  at  least  six  chap 
lains  of  this  grade  during  the  war.  The  three  ap 
pointed  in  1777-78  were  Rev.  Timothy  D wight,  for 
Parson's  First  Connecticut  Brigade,  the  Chaplain  for 
the  Second  Brigade  being  the  Rev.  John  Ellis,  gradu 
ate  of  Harvard  ;  Rev.  David  Avery,  Fourth  Massa 
chusetts  Brigade ;  and  Rev.  William  Plumbe,  De 
Fermoy's  Brigade  at  Ticonderoga.  At  a  later  date 
Rev.  Abraham  Baldwin  succeeded  Mr.  Dwight,  and 
Rev.  William  Lockwood  and  Joel  Barlow  were  ap 
pointed  in  the  Massachusetts  Line.  Revs.  Elihu 
Spencer  and  James  Sproat,  of  New  Jersey,  appear  as 
Chaplains  to  Department  Hospitals.  Mr.  Plumbe,  in 
the  fall  of  1777,  was  appointed  by  General  Gates  to 
the  hospitals  of  the  Northern  Department. 

Other  graduates  rendered  service  of  some  kind 
within  the  year,  either  with  the  militia  or  as  volun 
teers.  Colonel  John  Brown  will  add  to  his  laurels  in 
the  Saratoga  campaign.  Colonel  John  Ashley,  Jr., 
Major  Theodore  Sedgwick,  Captain  John  Strong, 
Israel  Dickinson,  Samuel  Ely,  and  doubtless  Enoch 
and  Joshua  L.  Woodbridge  and  William  Lyman,  from 


Events  in  1777-78.  69 

Massachusetts,  also  turned  out  at  that  crisis  ;  as  did 
Generals  Wolcott,  Wadsworth  and  Silliman,  Colonel 
Joshua  Porter,  Dr.  Elisha  Sill,  Noah  Webster,  and 
others  from  Connecticut.  Colonel  Jabez  Bowen, 
Captains  Ebenezer  Mosely,  Sanford  Kingsbury,  An 
drew  Hillyer,  and  volunteers  William  Edmond,  John 
Depeyster  Douwand  Oliver  Wolcott,  Jr.,  were  active.1 
James  Hillhouse  this  year  became  Captain  of  the  New 
Haven  Company  of  Governor's  Foot-Guards,  and  was 
thus  preparing  for  the  good  service  he  did  when  the 
town  was  invaded  by  the  enemy  in  1779. 

Active  movements  on  any  large  scale  did  not  begin 
until  half  the  year  had  gone.  There  was  no  fighting 
in  the  spring  and  early  summer,  except  what  little  oc 
curred  in  the  course  of  skirmishes  and  expeditions,  the 
most  considerable  of  which  was  the  British  foray  into 
Connecticut  in  April,  when  Danbury  was  pillaged. 
This  cost  us  some  public  and  private  property — among 
other  things,  sixteen  hundred  tents,  which  could  ill 

1  AFFAIRS  AT  THE  COLLEGE. — Young  Edmond  and  Wolcott  were  undergradu 
ates  when  they  volunteered  their  service.  They  were  at  home,  as  the  college  had 
closed  temporarily. 

Interruptions  of  the  course  occurred  frequently  during  the  war.  There  were 
no  public  commencements  until  1781.  College  was  first  dismissed  for  a  few 
weeks,  as  stated,  in  April,  1775.  In  August,  1776,  it  was  again  dismissed,  as 
Fitch  says,  "  on  account  of  the  prevalence  of  the  camp  distemper."  He  seems 
not  to  have  returned  until  November.  "  Difficulty  of  subsisting  the  students" 
required  another  recess  from  Dec.  10  to  Jan.  8,  1777.  Again,  March  22,  '77, 
Fitch  writes  in  his  diary  :  "  This  morning  the  President  (Dr.  Daggett)  made 
an  address  to  the  students,  informing  them  that  on  account  of  the  impossibility 
of  supplying  the  College  with  provisions,  it  would  in  a  few  days  be  dismissed  ; 
and  also  that  he  had  fully  made  up  his  mind  to  resign  the  presidency  of  the 
College."  The  students  went  home  about  April  i,  and  did  not  return  to  New 
Haven  till  the  fall.  In  May-June  the  Freshman  met  at  Farmington,  Sopho 
mores  and  Juniors  at  Glastonbury,  Seniors  at  Wethersfield,  and  continued  their 
studies  under  their  tutors. 

Dr.  Stiles  writes  in  his  diary  :  "A  large  class  graduated  Sept.  10,  1777,  and 
many  students  entered  the  army  ;  others  left  College  on  account  of  its  broken 
state  and  expenses  in  these  tumultuous  times  .  .  .  The  public  calamities 
&  tumults  affect  all  the  colleges."  Further  interruptions  are  referred  to  in 
1778-79. 


70  Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

be  spared.  But  a  loss  more  sensibly  felt,  especially 
by  the  Connecticut  people,  was  that  of  their  senior 
major-general  of  militia,  who  fell  mortally  wounded 
in  the  affair.  This  was  the  veteran  Wooster,  the 
oldest  of  our  graduates  then  in  the  field.  His  death 
was  in  every  way  a  noble  one,  not  only  on  account 
of  the  soldierly  qualities  he  displayed  at  the  time, 
but  peculiarly  in  view  of  the  happy  patriotic  temper 
which  had  governed  him  from  the  outset.  Upon  his 
recall  from  Canada  in  the  spring  of  1 776  he  demanded 
an  investigation  at  the  hands  of  Congress,  and  was 
acquitted  of  all  blame  for  misfortunes  in  that  quarter. 
Prejudices,  however,  existed  against  him,  partly  on 
account  of  his  age,  and  he  was  ordered  to  report  to 
his  home,  which  meant  that  his  services  would  prob 
ably  not  be  required  again  in  the  open  field.  Feeling 
that  this  was  unmerited  treatment,  and  still  having 
faith  in  himself,  he  wrote  to  Congress  that  he  was 
ready  for  duty  and  abided  its  commands.  The  state 
ment  made  by  almost  all  writers  on  the  Revolution, 
that  he  resigned  his  Continental  commission  on  re 
turning  to  Connecticut,  is  erroneous.  Resignation 
would  have  been  a  confession  of  unfitness  or  lack  of 
public  spirit.  He  did  not  resign,  and  at  the  time  of 
his  death  he  was  the  senior  brigadier  in  the  army. 
In  the  meantime  Connecticut  appointed  him  Major- 
General  of  all  the  State  Militia,  and  under  this  com 
mission  he  was  stationed  on  the  Connecticut  border, 
with  head-quarters  generally  at  Rye,  during  the  winter 
of  1776-77.  With  him  on  his  staff  for  short  periods 
were  three  graduates,  namely,  his  son,  Thomas 
Wooster,  and  Stephen  R.  Bradley,  Aides-de-camp,  and 


Events  in  1777-78.  71 

Mark  Leavenworth,  Secretary  and  Deputy  Adjutant- 
General. 

The  Danbury  raid  occurred  April  25th  to  28th,  the 
enemy's  object  being  the  destruction  of  stores  at  that 
place.  Upon  the  landing  of  Gen.  Tryon  with  some 
two  thousand  British  troops  off  Norwalk,  the  militia 
turned  out  and  attacked  them  on  their  return.  Gens. 
Arnold  and  Silliman,  Cols.  Huntington,  Lamb  and 
others  were  conspicuously  active.  At  Danbury,  Col. 
Joseph  P.  Cooke,  class  of  1750,  and  at  Ridgefield, 
Col.  Philip  B.  Bradley,  class  of  1758,  assisted  in 
harassing  the  enemy.  William  Edmond,  then  a  Sen 
ior,  afterwards  Judge  of  the  State  Supreme  Court, 
joined  in  the  attack  and  was  severely  wounded. 
Young  Oliver  Wolcott,  a  Junior,  also  turned  out  as  a 
volunteer.  No  one,  however,  displayed  more  spirit 
and  activity  than  old  General  Wooster.  The  news 
of  Tryon's  landing  reaching  him  at  New  Haven  on 
the  26th.  He  immediately  started  for  the  scene  of 
action,  and  on  the  following  afternoon,  after  much 
riding  and  little  rest,  attacked  one  detachment  of  the 
British  with  a  small  body  of  militia.  His  men  giving 
way,  he  made  every  effort  to  rally  them,  when  he  re 
ceived  a  mortal  wound  in  the  back.  He  was  removed 
to  Danbury,  where  he  expired  on  the  2d  of  May, 
"with  great  composure  and  resignation." 

Those  who  observed  the  general's  movements  and 
received  his  orders  after  he  reached  the  vicinity  of 
the  enemy  were  impressed  with  his  energy  and  good 
management.  Arnold,  Silliman  and  Huntington  all 
speak  of  him  in  terms  of  high  praise.  The  Philadel 
phia  Post,  of  May  13,  1777,  mentioned  him  as  follows : 


72  Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

"  We  hear  that  Gen.  Wooster  died  the  third  instant, 
of  his  wounds  in  the  action  of  the  27th  tilt.  Although 
this  brave  veteran  was  supposed  by  some  to  have 
outlived  his  usefulness,  yet  his  spirit  and  activity 
shone  in  this  last  action  of  his  life  with  undimin- 
ished  lustre."  Congress  voted  him  a  monument,  but 
its  resolution  has  never  been  carried  into  effect.  The 
following  hitherto  unpublished  letter  from  Wooster 
is  one  of  the  last  bearing  on  military  matters  that  he 
wrote  : 

"  RYE,  March  ioth,  1777. 

"  DR.  SIR  : — Your  favor  of  the  seventh  Inst1  came  to  hand  last 
night,  and  for  answer  I  must  inform  you  that  I  apprehend  a  de 
scent  on  Long  Island  is  at  present  impracticable,  as  the  enemy 
have  in  the  Sound  above  thirty  Ships  and  Tenders  cruising  daily 
from  Fairfield  to  the  Westward — neither  have  we  boats  sufficient 
to  cross  over  in  and  what  is  a  greater  difficulty,  the  Term  for 
which  the  troops  here  were  Inlisted  expires  next  Saturday  and 
Home  is  the  word  already. 

"  I  have  however  sent  Col°  Enos  to  wait  on  you  and  to  consult 
what  may  be  done  in  some  future  day  when  these  Ships  have  re 
turned  to  New  York  and  the  Sound  not  so  infested  with  them, 
and  you  may  be  assured  I  shall  ever  cheerfully  lend  you  every 
assistance  in  my  power,  to  forward  an  enterprise  which  may  be 
of  some  service  to  our  cause. 

"  I  am  Dr  Sir  with  esteem  and  respect 

"  Your  most  humble  serv1, 

"  DAVID  WOOSTER. 
"The  Honble  Brigadier  Gen1  Parsons." 

This  letter,  with  Wooster's  portrait,  sword,  and 
sash,  on  which  he  was  lifted  from  the  field  when 
wounded,  is  preserved  in  the  President's  Room  at 
the  college. 

The  stirring  events  of  the  year  occurred  in  the 
months  of  August,  September,  and  October.  We  had 


Events  in   1777-78.  73 

nothing  more  interesting  in  the  whole  course  of  the 
war.  It  was  the  year  of  Burgoyne's  surrender, 
which,  following  the  siege  of  Boston,  Trenton,  and 
Princeton,  convinced  the  country  that  with  continued 
exertions  there  could  be  no  question  as  to  the  issue. 
The  enemy's  campaign  plans  included  the  isolation 
of  the  New  England  States,  the  control  of  the  Hud 
son  and  interior  lines  of  communication,  and  the  sup 
pression  of  resistance  to  the  southward  as  far  as  the 
Potomac.  Burgoyne  coming  down  from  Canada 
with  seven  thousand  choice  troops  was  expected,  with 
assistance  from  New  York,  to  effect  the  first  result ; 
and  Howe,  taking  Philadelphia  and  defeating  Wash 
ington,  was  confident  of  success  in  that  direction. 
The  latter's  operations  were  more  or  less  successful. 
Philadelphia  fell  into  his  hands,  and  Washington 
was  defeated  at  Brandy  wine,  Sept.  n.  On  Oct.  4th, 
Washington  partially  redeemed  himself  by  his  well- 
planned  attack  upon  the  enemy  at  Germantown,  and 
later  withdrew  into  winter-quarters  at  Valley  Forge. 
In  these  Pennsylvania  operations  comparatively 
few  graduates  participated.  No  Eastern  troops  were 
with  the  army  at  Brandywine,  with  the  exception  of 
a  portion  of  the  Second  Regiment  of  Light  Dragoons, 
recruited  mainly  in  Connecticut.  Benjamin  Tall- 
madge  had  lately  been  promoted  Major  of  this  corps, 
and  with  him  may  have  been  Capt.  E.  P.  Belden  and 
Lieutenant  Mills,  but  they  were  not  actually  engaged 
in  the  battle.  At  Germantown,  however,  they  were 
at  the  front,  Tallmadge  himself  being  at  the  head  of 
Sullivan's  column.  The  First  Connecticut  Brigade 
had  joined  the  army  by  that  time  and  was  engaged 


74          Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

under  Gen.  McDougall  on  the  extreme  left.  Pub 
lished  accounts  of  the  battle  hardly  refer  to  Mc 
Dougall  and  one  writer,  an  officer  present  in  the  ac 
tion,  asserts  that  he  never  reached  the  field.  This 
is  a  mistake  so  far  as  the  Connecticut  troops  were 
concerned,  as  we  know  from  several  sources.  A  let 
ter  in  the  Trumbull  collection,  written  apparently  by 
Col.  John  Chandler,  class  of  1759,  states  that  his 
regiment  lost  twenty-two  and  that  Col.  Bradley's  loss 
was  "  something  more."  Other  graduates  in  Mc- 
Dougall's  command  were  Lieut-Col.  Russell,  Maj. 
Gray,  Capts.  Webb  and  Munson,  and  Lieuts.  Taylor, 
Rice,  Sill,  Judson,  Daggett,  and  Morris.  The  latter, 
James  Morris,  class  of  1775,  afterwards  a  well-known 
citizen  of  Litchfield,  Conn.,  was  taken  prisoner  at 
Germantown  and  has  left  us  an  account  of  his  ex 
periences  while  in  the  enemy's  hands.  The  follow 
ing  is  an  extract : 

"We  encamped  between  the  River  Lehigh  and  Philadelphia, 
and  on  the  evening  of  the  3d  of  October  1777,  the  army  had  orders 
to  march.  About  6  o'clock,  on  said  evening,  the  army  under  the 
immediate  command  of  General  Washington  began  their  march 
for  Germantown.  I  left  my  baggage  and  my  bible,  which  my 
father  bought  for  me  when  I  was  six  years  old,  in  my  trunk.  I 
marched  with  only  my  military  suit  and  my  implements  of  war, 
without  any  change  of  dress  or  even  a  blanket.  We  marched 
that  evening  and  reached  Germantown  by  break  of  day,  the 
morning  of  the  4th,  a  distance  of  about  20  miles.  The  memor 
able  battle  of  Germantown  then  commenced.  Our  army  was  ap 
parently  successful  in  driving  the  enemy  from  their  encampment, 
and  victory  in  the  outset  seemed  to  perch  on  our  standards. 

"  But  the  success  of  the  day  by  the  misconduct  of  General  Ste 
phens  turned  against  us.  Many  fell  in  battle  and  about  500  of  our 
men  were  made  prisoners  of  war  who  surrendered  at  discretion. 


Rvents  in  1777-78.  75 

I  being  in  the  first  company,  at  the  head  of  our  column,  that  began 
the  attack  upon  the  enemy — consequently  I  was  in  the  rear  in  the 
retreat.  Our  men  then  undisciplined  were  scattered.  I  had 
marched  with  a  few  men  nearly  10  miles  before  I  was  captured, 
continually  harassed  by  the  British  Dragoons  and  the  light  in 
fantry.  I  finally  surrendered  to  save  life  with  the  few  men  then 
under  my  command  and  marched  back  to  Germantown  under  a 
guard. 

"  Samuel  Stannard,  my  waiter,  a  strong  athletic  man,  carried  my 
blanket  and  provisions,  with  a  canteen  of  whiskey  ;  he  had  made 
his  escape,  and  was  not  taken.  Of  course  I  was  left  without  any 
refreshment  from  break  of  day  in  the  morning  through  the  whole 
day  ;  thus  I  was  driven  back  to  Germantown  after  performing  a 
march  of  about  forty  miles  from  the  evening  before  at  six 
o'clock.  I  reached  Germantown  a  prisoner  of  war  about  sunset 
fatigued  and  much  exhausted.  I  was  the  last  officer  taken  with 
about  twenty  men — the  rest  that  had  been  taken  early  in  the  day 
were  conveyed  to  Philadelphia.  The  evening  of  the  4th  of  Oc 
tober  was  very  cold.  I  was  put  under  a  quarter  guard  with  the 
few  men  with  me  in  an  open  field  around  a  small  fire  ;  no  pro 
vision  was  made  for  the  Prisoners  ;  the  men  with  me  had  a  little 
food  in  their  knapsacks,  but  I  had  none.  A  little  after  sundown 
I  was  shivering  with  the  cold.  I  asked  the  sergeant  of  the  Guard 
if  I  might  see  the  Commander  of  the  Regiment  ;  he  informed  me 
that  he  quartered  in  such  a  house  about  twenty  rods  distant — the 
sergeant,  who  was  manly  and  sympathetic,  waited  on  me  to  the 
house,  and  informed  the  Commander  that  there  was  an  American 
Officer,  a  prisoner,  at  the  door  who  wanted  to  see  him.  The 
Colonel  said  that  he  would  see  him  after  he  had  done  supper. 
Accordingly  I  sat  down  on  the  stoop  before  the  door,  and  after 
sitting  about  fifteen  minutes  the  Colonel  came  out  and  sat  down 
on  the  stoop  with  me  ;  he  asked  me  many  questions  respecting 
my  motives  for  going  into  the  war  and  rising  up  in  rebellion 
against  my  lawful  sovereign,  and  I  answered  him  pleasantly  and 
as  evasively  as  I  could  consistently  with  decency.  He  asked  me 
what  I  wanted.  I  told  him  that  I  was  in  a  suffering  condition  ; 
I  had  no  blanket  or  any  covering  to  shield  me  from  the  cold.  I 
wished  for  liberty  to  sleep  in  the  house,  and  that  I  stood  in  need 
of  some  refreshment.  The  Colonel  ordered  his  servants  to  get 


76  Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

me  some  victuals,  and  said  I  might  go  into  the  room  where  they 
were.  I  went  into  the  room.  The  servants  very  politely  spread 
a  table,  set  on  some  good  old  spirits  and  a  broiled  chicken  well 
cooked,  with  excellent  bread  and  other  food  of  the  best  kind. 
The  servants  sat  off  in  the  room  and  waited  on  me  in  the  best  man 
ner.  This  was  really  the  sweetest  meal  of  victuals  that  I  ever  ate. 
When  I  had  done  supper  I  asked  the  sergeant  who  had  conducted 
me  there  what  the  Colonel  said  respecting  my  lodging  in  the 
house. 

"  The  sergeant  replied  that  the  Colonel  told  him  that  I  was  not 
on  parole,  and  that  he  was  not  authorized  to  grant  a  parole  of 
honor,  and  that  I  must  go  out  and  be  with  the  guard.  I  then 
asked  the  sergeant  if  I  could  be  furnished  with  a  blanket  for  that 
night.  The  soldiers  who  were  waiters  to  the  Colonel  immediately 
brought  me  a  large  and  clean  rose  blanket,  and  said  it  should  be 
for  my  use  that  night.  I  accordingly  went  out  into  the  field  and 
lay  down  among  the  soldiers  who  were  prisoners,  wrapped  myself 
in  the  blanket,  kept  my  hat  on  my  head,  and  slept  sweetly  thro 
the  night.  Before  I  lay  down  the  sergeant  informed  me  that  he 
observed  that  I  had  a  watch  in  my  pocket,  and  that  I  had  silver 
knee-buckles  ;  that  if  I  would  give  them  to  his  care  he  would  re 
turn  them  to  me  in  the  morning,  for  the  soldiers  of  the  guard 
would  probably  rob  me  of  them  when  I  was  asleep.  I  accord 
ingly  committed  them  to  his  safe  keeping,  who  very  honorably 
returned  them  to  me  the  next  morning,  it  being  the  5th  of  Octo 
ber.  The  prisoners  this  day  had  their  allowance  of  provisions 
dealt  out  to  them  for  the  day.  These  were  cooked  by  the  soldiers 
who  were  prisoners,  and  I  partook  with  them  in  one  common 
mess.  Near  sunset  of  the  5th  the  prisoners  were  ordered  to  be 
escorted  by  a  guard  to  Philadelphia,  the  distance  about  six  miles. 
I  thus  marched  on  and  arrived  at  the  new  jail  in  Philadelphia 
about  eight  o'clock  in  the  evening.  I  was  locked  into  a  cold  room 
destitute  of  every  thing  but  cold  stone  walls  and  bare  floors  ;  no 
kind  of  a  chair  to  sit  on  ;  all  total  darkness  ;  no  water  to  drink 
or  a  morsel  to  eat  ;  destitute  of  a  blanket  to  cover  me.  .  .  . 
Morning  finally  arrived,  and  at  a  late  hour  we  were  furnished  with 
some  very  hard  sea  bread  and  salted  pork,  and  I  was  able  to  ob 
tain  some  water  to  drink.  Being  altogether  moneyless,  I  could 
purchase  nothing  for  my  comfort. 


Events  in  1777-78.  77 

"  I  pretty  soon  sold  my  watch  for  half  its  value,  and  with  the 
money  I  received  for  it  I  was  able  to  procure  some  food  pleasant 
to  my  taste.  I  wholly  gave  up  my  allowance  of  provisions  to  the 
poor  soldiers.  At  this  time  and  in  this  jail  were  confined  700 
prisoners  of  war,  a  few  small  rooms  were  sequestered  for  the  offi 
cers  ;  each  room  must  contain  sixteen  men.  We  fully  covered 
the  whole  floor  when  we  lay  down  to  sleep,  and  the  poor  soldiers 
were  shut  into  rooms  of  the  same  magnitude  with  double  the 
number.  The  soldiers  were  soon  seized  with  the  jail  fever,  as  it 
was  called,  and  it  swept  off  in  the  course  of  three  months  400 
men,  who  were  all  buried  in  one  continued  grave  without  coffins  ; 
the  length  of  a  man  was  the  width  of  the  grave,  lying  three  deep 
or  one  upon  another.  I  thus  lived  in  jail  from  the  5th  of  Octo 
ber,  1777,  till  the  month  of  May,  1778." 

At  the  North  the  more  desperate  and  vital  struggle 
with  Burgoyne  had  been  in  progress.  Graduates  were 
engaged  here  as  elsewhere.  Gen.  Paterson  and  his 
brigade  of  four  Massachusetts  regiments  formed 
about  one  third  of  Gates'  Continental  force,  which 
did  the  main  fighting.  In  this  force  were  Maj.  Hull, 
who  was  closely  engaged  in  the  battle  of  Sept.  iQth, 
Major  Porter,  and  Captain  Ashley.  Captain  Thomas 
Y.  Seymour  was  also  there  with  the  only  company 
of  Continental  Dragoons  in  Gates'  army.  As  for 
militia  and  volunteers  such  numbers  hurried  forward 
at  the  last  moment  that  probably  many  names  were 
never  enrolled.  Among  them,  for  instance,  was 
young  Noah  Webster,  still  a  Junior  at  college,  who 
tells  us  that  a  large  body  went  from  Connecticut. 
"  My  father  and  my  two  brothers,"  he  writes,  "  were 
in  the  service.  I  also  shouldered  a  musket  and 
marched  as  a  volunteer,  leaving  at  home  no  person 

1  From  the  original  MSS.  in  possession  of  Hon.  Dwight  Morris,  late  Secre 
tary  of  State  of  Connecticut,  son  of  James  Morris,  the  Revolutionary  officer. 


78  Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

but  my  mother  and  a  sister  to  take  charge  of  the 
farm."  x  With  the  force  on  the  Hudson  under  Gen. 
Putnam,  who  endeavored  to  prevent  Clinton  from 
New  York  from  co-operating  with  Burgoyne,  were 
quite  a  number  of  graduates — namely,  Col.  Wyllys, 
Lt.-Cols.  Sherman  and  Grosvenor,  Maj.  Huntington, 
Capts.  Wyllys,  Judd,  Wooster,  Walker,  Brigade- 
Major  David  Humphreys,  Lieuts.  Williams,  Heart, 
Alden,  Cleaveland,  Chipman,  Mix,  and  Barker,  all  of 
whom  were  Continentals.  They  were  doubtless  at 
that  time  with  their  regiments.  Gens.  Wadsworth 
and  Silliman  commanded  militia  under  Putnam,  and 
in  all  probability  other  graduates  marched  with  them. 
Gen.  Wolcott,  with  instructions  which  left  him  free 
to  report  anywhere,  pushed  on  with  about  three 
hundred  volunteers  directly  to  Gates'  camp,  Lieut- 
Col.  Joshua  Porter  having  preceded  him  with  a 
State  regiment  which  fought  well  in  the  action  of 
Freeman's  Farm,  Sept.  iQth. 

An  extract  from  one  of  Gen.  Wolcott's  letters  to 
Gov.  Trumbull,  written  after  Burgoyne  had  been 
twice  defeated  and  a  few  days  before  his  surrender, 
runs  as  follows  : 

"Camp  Beames  Heights,  Oct°  10,  1777. 

"  SIR  : 

"  I  came  to  this  camp  the  30  ultimo  with  a  little  more  than  300 
men.  The  apparent  exigency  of  our  affairs  in  this  Department 
and  the  probability  of  affording  some  useful  succour  to  this  army, 
were,  as  I  observed  in  my  former  letter,  my  Inducements  to  this 
undertaking.  How  far  the  step  which  I  have  taken  has  been  ap 
proved  of  by  your  Excellency  and  Council  of  Safety  I  have  not 
been  told,  but  as  I  was  directed  to  afford  such  aid  to  this  army 
as  I  tho't  proper,  it  was  my  opinion  and  the  opinion  of  all 

1  From  the  same  MSS.  quoted  on  page  13.     See  biographical  sketch. 


Events  in   1777-78.  79 

Gentlemen  whom  I  Consulted  that  the  enemy  could  not  be 
so  deeply  wounded  anywhere  as  in  this  quarter,  and  I  am  happy 
to  find  that  the  success  which  has  attended  our  military  opera 
tions  in  this  department  has  justified  my  opinion.  .  .  . 

"  Our  army  are  on  their  Front  flank,  and  on  the  opposite  side 
of  the  River.  Yesterday  &  in  the  evening  especially  the  enemy 
appeared  to  be  in  the  greatest  Confusion  and  Distress — environed 
on  every  side  by  our  army,  their  baggage  scattered  &  a  good  deal 
of  it  destroyed  by  themselves.  A  great  number  of  their  horses 
are  killed  on  the  Road  and  several  Hundred  Barrels  of  Provisions 
fallen  into  our  hands.  Our  army  the  last  night  lay  on  their  arms 
to  renew  the  attack  this  morning.  What  will  be  the  events  of  the 
day,  God  only  knows,  but  in  all  probability  it  will  end  in  at  least 
the  total  loss  of  all  the  enemy's  artillery  stores  &  baggage,  if  not 
of  the  greater  part  of  their  army.  I  cannot  well  conceive  of  an 
army  being  bro't  into  a  worse  situation  than  that  of  the  enemy's. 
But  the  fate  of  it  will  be  fully  known  in  two  or  three  days.  May 
it  please  a  merciful  God  to  grant  that  the  kindest  events  may  take 
place  as  it  respects  ourselves.  It  is  my  belief  that  the  events  of 
the  campaign  in  this  quarter  will  open  to  us  the  brightest  scene, 
and  will  involve  in  it  consequences  which  will  fully  establish  the 
American  Independency — and  altho'  our  affairs  put  on  a  dis 
agreeable  aspect  in  other  parts  yet  an  aurora  borealis  from  this 
quarter  will  dispel  the  dismal  gloom.  .  .  ." 

Another  letter  from  the  field  we  have  in  the  follow 
ing  from  Capt.  Seymour  to  his  father  at  Hartford. 
It  was  written  the  day  after  the  battle  of  Freeman's 
Farm  : 

"  HOND  SIR  : — I  now  attempt  to  give  a  relation  of  an  engage 
ment  between  the  enemy's  whole  Force  and  Gen1  Arnold's  Divi 
sion — it  began  in  the  morning  of  the  iQth  instant  between  some 
Advanced  Parties  till  noon, — soon  after  which  it  became  general, 
and  an  incessant  Fire  continued  the  whole  day,  we  obliging  the 
enemy  to  quit  the  Field  for  three  times,  though  they  obstinately 
contended  to  keep  possession  of  it.  The  action  was  Bloody  & 
would  undoubtedly  have  been  decided  had  not  the  night  parted 
1  From  the  "  Wolcott  Memorial."  Original  in  Trumbull  Papers. 


8o  Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

us.  In  the  course  of  the  Day  1,000  were  killed  of  the  enemy  & 
46  taken  prisoners,  all  British  troops  as  they  were  in  front.  We 
lost  in  the  above  action  34  killed,  120  wounded  &  missing.  Some 
officers  of  distinction  were  lost  on  our  side,  such  as  two  Colonels 
and  some  of  a  less  degree.  The  militia  of  our  State  was  engaged 
&  behaved  bravely.  Capt.  Wadsworth  of  Hartford  in  particular 
has  done  himself  eternal  Honor,  tho'  I  am  afraid  [the]  good  man 
is  mortally  wounded.  One  of  Mr.  Tucker's  sons  was  instantly 
killed  after  acting  the  soldier.  Our  Tents  are  all  struck,  and  we 
momently  expect  to  put  an  end  to  the  Warr  in  this  Department — 
God  grant  us  success  in  a  day  so  big  with  important  Events.  Gen. 
Lincoln  is  in  the  rear  of  the  enemy,  &  will  disappoint  all  possible 
hopes  of  a  retreat  ;  their  situation,  as  I  observed  in  a  former  let 
ter,  is  desperate,  for  they  fought  as  if  it  was  so,  yet  the  Spirit  of 
our  Troops  &  a  Consciousness  of  the  Justice  of  our  Cause  made 
us  an  overmatch  for  them.  The  army  still  continue  in  spirits 
and  are  doubly  animated  from  the  late  engagement.  I  still  con 
tinue  to  be  in  health  notwithstanding  I  experience  great  fatigues. 

"lam,  &c., 

"  THOS.  Y.  SEYMOUR. 

"  P.  S. — Various  reports  say  Gen1  Burgoyne  recd  a  fatal  shot  in 
the  action  above  mentioned — we  are  tjiis  day  joined  by  200  Indi 
ans  of  the  Onoiada  Tribe  &  with  the  Riflemen  are  now  gone  to 
beat  up  the  enemy's  quarters.  This  letter  I  hope  will  be  excused, 
as  it  was  written  on  my  knee  under  arms. 

"Camp  advanced  of  Still  Water,  Sept.  20,  1777."  ' 

We  may  expect,  also,  to  find  Col.  John  Brown  very 
active  in  this  quarter.  Perfectly  familiar  with  the 
region  about  Ticonderoga,  he  undertook,  with  the 
approval  of  Gen.  Lincoln,  to  attack  the  garrison  at 
that  point,  and  break  up  Burgoyne's  communications. 
With  five  hundred  men  he  marched  through  the 
woods,  "where,"  as  one  of  his  officers  says,  "man 
never  marched  before,  except  the  Indian,"  and  on 

1  From  the  original  among  the  Trumbull  Papers  in  the  Massachusetts 
Historical  Society,  Boston. 


Events  in   1777-78.  81 

the  morning  of  September  i8th  surprised  the  enemy's 
outer  works,  including  Mount  Defiance,  and  captured 
stores  and  prisoners.  He  failed  in  succeeding  to  the 
utmost  of  his  expectations,  but  it  was  a  dashing  ex 
ploit,  which  added  to  his  reputation.  The  unknown 
ofricer  adds  :  "  We  were  commanded  by  Col.  Brown, 
a  fine  officer  as  ever  I  saw — good  courage  and  good 
conduct." 

Burgoyne  surrendered  October  i  7th.  No  one  ap 
preciated  the  event  more  than  the  soldiers  in  the 
field.  When  Washington  heard  of  it  at  "  Camp 
Pennybacker's  Mills,"  Pa.,  he  congratulated  his  army 
in  the  warmest  terms.  Col.  Brown  also  came  in  for 
remembrance. 

".  .  .  The  Commander-in-Chief,"  runs  a  portion  of  the 
order,  "  has  further  occasion  to  congratulate  the  troops  on  the  suc 
cess  of  a  detachment  of  the  northern  army,  under  Col.  Brown, 
who  attacked  and  carried  several  of  the  enemy's  posts,  and  had 
got  possession  of  several  of  the  old  French  lines  at  Ticonderoga. 

"Col.  Brown,  in  those  severe  attacks,  has  taken  293  prisoners 
of  the  enemy,  with  their  arms,  retaken  more  than  100  of  our  men, 
and  taken  150  batteaux  below  the  fall  in  Lake  Champlain,  and  50 
above  the  falls,  including  17  gun-boats,  and  one  armed  sloop,  be 
sides  cannon,  ammunition,  &c. 

"  To  celebrate  this  success  the  General  orders  that  at  4  o'clock 
this  afternoon  [Oct.  28]  all  the  troops  be  paraded  and  served  with 
a  gill  of  rum  per  man,  and  that  at  the  same  time  there  be  dis 
charges  of  13  pieces  of  artillery  from  the  park." 

The  troops  on  the  Hudson  under  Putnam  were 
made  equally  happy  with  the  news.  Says  Gen.  Silli- 
man,  "  Fishkill,  Oct.  18,  1777,  8  o'clock  P.M."  : 

".     .     .     On    this    occasion    the  whole    army  was  drawn    up 
1  Saffell's  "  Records  of  the  Revolutionary  War,"  p.  343. 


82  Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

under  arms  and  formed  into  a  great  square,  with  the  Field  Pieces 
placed  on  one  angle  and  all  the  General  Officers  in  the  centre 
mounted  on  Horse  Back  ;  when  all  the  Letters  were  publickly 
read,  which  was  followed  by  a  Discharge  of  13  Cannon  and  three 
loud  Huzzas  from  the  whole  army  on  the  joyfull  Occasion,  which 
seemed  almost  to  rend  the  air  with  the  noise." 

And  this  from  Gen.  Scott  to  Gates,  as  found  in 
the  Gates  Papers,  New  York  Historical  Society  : 

"KINGSTON,  Oct'r  iSth,  n  o'clock,  1777. 
"  MY  DEAR  GENERAL  ! 

"  How  can  I  sufficiently  congratulate  you  upon  the  most  signal 
and  Consequential  Event  that  has  happened  this  War  ?  an  event 
as  glorious  to  yourself,  as  it  is  big  with  the  happy  Fortune  of 
America.  We  just  now  learn  that  Sir  H.  Clinton  has  come  to 
aV  6  miles  below  this.  The  Govr  is  arrived  and  his  small  Body 
of  Troops  are  full  on  their  March,  and  are  expected  here  to 
morrow  Evening.  Give  me  Leave,  Sir,  to  give  you  a  Hint  that 
your  good  fortune  may  prove  a  Trap  to  Clinton.  How  would  it 
add  to  your  Trophies  to  secure  him  as  a  prisoner  of  War.  I 
have  too  good  an  opinion  of  your  Generalship  to  doubt  your 
meeting  him  in  Time — and  I  am  convinced  that  he  intends  to 
push  up  to  Albany  without  the  loss  of  one  moment. 

"  I  am,  Dear  General, 

"  Most  Respectfully  Yours, 

"  JNO.  MORIN  SCOTT. 
'*  The  Honorable  Major-General  Gates,  &c.,  &c." 

After  the  surrender  Gates'  army  dispersed,  the 
militia  going  home  and  the  Continentals  returning  in 
part  to  Washington  and  in  part  encamping  on  and 
near  the  Hudson  for  the  winter. 

1  From  the  Silliman  MSS.  in  possession  of  Prof.  O.  P.  Hubbard,  New  York 
City. 


EVENTS    IN    1778-79. 

Valley  Forge  and  its  Discipline — General  Paterson — Alumni  in  Camp — Letters 
from  Lieuts.  Chipman  and  Selden — Devotion  of  the  Army  to  Washington 
— The  French  Alliance — General  Scott  to  Gates — Battle  of  Monmouth — 
Camp  at  White  Plains — Battle  of  Rhode  Island — Notice  from  the  College 
Steward. 

FOLLOWING  Germantown  and  Saratoga  came  the 
historic  winter  at  Valley  Forge.  The  traditional 
and  popular  picture  of  a  shivering  and  famished 
army,  hutted  in  a  bleak  camp  on  the  banks  of  the 
Schuylkill,  is  hardly  overdrawn,  and  touches  the  sym 
pathies.  But  it  was  a  valuable  experience.  Beyond 
the  actual  discomfort  and  suffering,  which  at  best 
did  not  continue  over  six  or  eight  weeks,  one  may 
see  the  Continental  soldier  generally  in  good  cheer, 
his  patience  and  determination  commendable,  and  his 
devotion  to  his  chief  growing  deeper  and  warmer. 
By  spring-time  the  outlook  was  more  encouraging. 
Intrigues  against  Washington  had  failed  as  they  de 
served  ;  Steuben,  turning  the  whole  camp  into  a 
drill-room,  had  introduced  new  tactics  and  a  better 
discipline  ;  and  men  forgot  their  hardships  in  the  in 
spiring  news  that  France  had  become  their  firm  ally. 
There  was  a  schooling  of  faith  and  habits  at  Valley 
Forge  such  as  the  army  much  needed,  and  when  it 
moved  out  for  active  campaigning  in  the  early  sum 
mer,  it  was  with  a  sense  of  strength  not  before  expe- 

83 


84  Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

rienced,    and    an    air  of  confidence  which,     even   in 
gloomy  days  to  come,  never  wholly  forsook  it. 

Among  college  men  in  this  camp  we  meet  again 
with  General  John  Paterson,  who  had  come  down 
with  his  troops  from  Saratoga  after  Burgoyne's  sur 
render.  He  seems  to  have  been  everywhere  and  always 
active.  Soon  after  the  army  was  fixed  in  quarters, 
he  was  detailed  to  superintend  a  part  of  the  lines, 
receiving  these  brief  instructions  from  General 
Greene,  as  given  in  Colonel  Febiger's  MS.  Order- 
Book: 

"VALLEY  FORGE,  Jan.  2Oth  1778. 

"  Gen1  Patterson  is  kind  enough  to  undertake  the  Superintendence 
of  the  Fortifications  of  the  Left  Wing.  All  the  men  not  on  Duty  in 
the  respective  Brigades  in  this  Wing  are  to  parade  every  morning 
at  9  o'clock  to  be  employed  in  the  Fortifications  of  the  Camp 
under  the  Genls  Directions.  Each  Brigade  is  to  furnish  a  Field 
officer  to  comd  the  Fatigue  parties.  All  officers  not  upon  duty 
under  the  rank  of  a  Field  officer  are  to  turn  out  with  the  men.  His 
Excellency  the  Comdr  in  Chief  Desires  the  officers  to  exert  them 
selves  to  put  the  Camp  in  a  Defenceable  condition  as  soon  as 
may  be." 

About  twenty-five  graduates  were  identified  with 
the  Valley  Forge  encampment,  the  others  in  the 
service  being  with  troops  in  winter-quarters  on  the 
Hudson  and  in  Connecticut.  Among  the  former  we 
find  Cols.  Bradley  and  Chandler,  both  of  whom  were 
frequently  appointed  on  a  general  court-martial. 
Other  names  mentioned  in  the  order-books  are — 
Sherman,  "  Field-Officer  of  the  day,"  Jan.  27,  1778; 
Hull,  Feb.  27th  ;  Russell,  March  2d.  Brigade- 
Majors  Alden  and  Marvin  were  there  ;  also  Lieuts. 
Ezra  Selden,  Flint,  Judson,  Chipman,  Cogswell,  Chas. 
Selden,  Barker,  Taylor,  and  doubtless  Major  Porter, 


Events  in  1778-79.  85 

Capts.    Ashley,    Munson,    Rice,  and  Webb,    Lieuts. 
Cleaveland,  Mix,  and  others. 

Letters  from  this  camp,  especially  from  subordinate 
officers,  are  rarities.  One  or  two  of  Chipman's  and 
Ezra  Selden's  have  been  preserved.  Chipman,  as 
we  have  seen,  wrote  poetry  in  college,  and  now  he 
writes  it  from  the  field.  It  was  in  this  strain,  for 
example,  that  he  informed  his  classmate,  Cogswell, 
in  April,  1777,  that  he  had  just  entered  the  army  : 
****** 

"  But  I  no  more  Parnassus  tread 
A  foolish  whim  has  turned  my  head, 
The  Muse  has  lost  her  wonted  charms 
And  I  am  rushing  on  to  arms. 
No  more  I  sing  of  bloody  fight, 
But  now  prepare  myself  to  try't, 
And  leave  to  you  the  extensive  rule 
You  've  late  acquired  in  Country  School  ; 
Your  whip,  your  ferrule  and  your  pen, 
And  cringing  band  of  pigmy  men. 
Yes,  you  may  laugh  to  see  me  cased 
In  armor,  with  a  cockade  graced  ; 
Nor  will  you  laugh  alone,  I  warrant, 
At  such  a  doughty  huge  knight-errant." 

*  *  *  #  *  * 

The  rigors  of  Valley  Forge  failed  to  repress  his 
aspirations,  and  when  he  sat  down  to  describe  his  sur 
roundings  to  another  classmate,  Fitch,  in  Feb.,  1778, 
it  was  again  in  verse  : 

"  Here  must  we  feel  the  inclement  air, 
Bear  all  the  unequalled  toils  of  war  ; 
Meet  hardships  in  a  thousand  forms, 
Now  scorch'd  with  heat,  now  drenched  with  storms. 

1  This  and  other  extracts  from  "  Memoir  of  Judge  Chipman." 


86  Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

With  cold  and  want  maintain  the  strife — 
Such  are  the  ills  of  martial  life. 

****** 

And  now,  my  friend,  come  view  the  plain, 

Deformed  with  mangled  heaps  of  slain  ; 

See  here  by  deadly  wounds  subdued, 

Thousands  still  weltering  in  their  blood. 

Their  country's  glory  was  their  all, 

For  her  they  fought,  for  her  they  fall. 

Oh  grant,  kind  Heaven,  these  scenes  may  end, 

And  peace  her  olive-branch  extend, 

In  freedom  this  fair  land  be  blest, 

Nor  Britain  more  our  right  contest." 

Again  Chipman  writes,  April  10,  1778,  to  still  an 
other  member  of  his  class,  Elisha  Lee,  but  this  time 
in  good  strong  prose.  The  letter  confirms  the  usual 
statement  that  the  officers  of  Washington's  main 
army  were  devotedly  loyal  to  him  at  the  time  the 
Conway  Cabal  sought  to  depreciate  his  services  and 
supplant  his  authority  : 

"  I  learn  that  it  is  a  common  topic  of  conversation  in  Connecti 
cut,  and,  indeed,  through  New  England,  that  General  Washington 
will  not  fight.  '  Let  Gates,'  say  they,  '  take  the  command,  and  we 
shall  see  an  end  of  the  war.'  General  Gates  has  done  well ;  he 
has  done  gloriously  ;  I  have  as  high  a  sense  of  his  merit  as  any 
man.  But  the  truth  is,  Burgoyne  failed  himself,  and  Gates  con 
quered  him.  Besides,  Gates  was  in  a  situation  to  command  what 
assistance  he  pleased,  and  that  the  flower  of  the  continent.  What 
shall  we  say  of  Washington  here  at  the  head  of  fifteen,  or  at  most 
twenty  thousand  men,  for  his  army  never  exceeded  that  number, 
and  one  third  of  them  Pennsylvania  militia,  who  for  the  most  part 
never  dared  to  face  an  enemy.  I  have  seen  when  our  regiment 
was  closely  engaged,  and  almost  surrounded,  seven  hundred  of 
them  quit  the  field  without  firing  a  gun.  On  the  seventh  of 
December,  the  army  of  the  enemy,  exclusive  of  those  left  to  gar 
rison  Philadelphia,  and  the  neighboring  posts,  amounted  to  eleven 


Events  in  1778-79.  s; 

thousand  effective  men.  From  this  you  may  judge  of  their 
strength  at  the  opening  of  the  campaign.  There  is  not  another 
State  on  the  continent  where  so  many  traitors  are  to  be  found,  as 
in  this,  and  yet  General  Washington  baffled  all  the  stratagems  of 
a  wary,  politic,  and  experienced  general,  and  has  several  times 
fought  him  not  unsuccessfully.  All  General  Gates  has  done  does 
not  render  it  even  probable,  that  in  General  Washington's  situa 
tion  he  would  not  have  been  totally  defeated.  The  army,  to  a 
man,  except  those  who  conquered  under  Gates,  have  the  highest 
opinion  of  General  Washington.  They  love,  I  had  almost  said, 
they  adore  him.  While  he  lives,  be  assured,  they  will  never  brook 
the  command  of  another." 

Two  other  letters  referring  to  current  military  af 
fairs  of  the  year  are  from  Ezra  Selden,  of  Lyme,  Ad 
jutant  of  the  First  Connecticut,  a  young  man  of  much 
promise,  who,  as  Captain,  will  distinguish  himself  in 
the  following  summer.  One  was  written  from  Valley 
Forge,  the  other  after  Monmouth.  Both  are  ad 
dressed  to  an  old  acquaintance,  Dr.  Mather,  an 
elderly  physician  of  Lyme  : 

"  VALLEY  FORGE,  May  15,  1778. 
"  SIR  : 

"  Agreeable  to  your  desire  I  do  myself  the  honor  of  writing  you, 
though  nothing  material  occurs. 

"  The  welcome  news  which  Mr.  Dean  brought  us  from  Europe 
gave  great  joy  to  our  army — his  Excellency  Directed  three  Fue 
de  Joys,  One  for  ye  Thirteen  United  States,  One  for  France  and 
one  for  our  Friendly  European  powers.  After  Dissmissing  the 
Soldiery  He  Directed  the  assembling  of  the  Officers  of  the  whole 
army  and  entertained  them  with  as  good  a  Dinner  as  could  under 
our  Situation  in  the  Field  be  provided,  after  which  they  were 
served  with  Wine  &c., — at  the  same  time  his  Excellency  gave 
the  Toasts  which  were  Proclaimed  by  his  aid  de  Camp  who  as 
cended  a  high  Step  for  that  Purpose.  After  a  sufficient  merriment 
his  Excellency  retired,  Desiring  the  Officers  to  be  very  attentive 
to  their  Duty  as  the  Intelligence  which  he  had  reced  required  it. 


88  Yale  in  the  Revohition. 

"  Our  Army  is  at  present  very  busy  and  intent  upon  a  New  mode 
of  Exercise  Pointed  by  Major  General  Baron  Stuben  from 
Poland. 

"  His  knowledge  in  Discipline  is  very  great,  his  method  of  ma- 
nuvering  is  very  Different,  but  mostly  satisfactory  ;  he  never  in 
forms  what  is  to  be  Done  in  future  ;  but  gives  Lessons  and  we 
Practice  until  he  gives  new  Directions  ;  he  allows  no  musick 
while  we  are  manuvering,  or  does  he  ever  allow  us  to  be  steping 
upon  our  Posts,  but  at  the  word  march  to  step  right  off,  and  al 
ways  with  the  left  foot.  Our  manual  Exercise  as  yet  continues 
the  same,  excepting  in  the  Charging  the  Bayonet. 

"  By  the  best  information  I  can  collect  the  Enemy  are  about 
leaving  Philadelphia.  Inhabitants  &  Deserters  inform  us  that 
they  have  their  Heavy  artillery  on  Board  their  Shipping — reports 
also  are  that  they  will  attack  us  Prior  to  their  leaving  the  City. 
Reports  are  Reports.  Gen1  Howe  has  not  sailed  for  England 
unless  within  3  or  4  days.  Our  Incampment  is  strongly  fortified 
and  Piqueted.  I  have  no  suspicions  that  we  shall  be  attacked  in 
Quarters. 

"  There  is  a  very  Different  Spirit  in  the  army  to  what  there  was 
when  I  left  it  [on  furlough]  ;  the  Troops  considerably  well 
cloathed,  but  then  their  cloathing  which  they  have  lately  Re 
ceived  is  such  as  ought  to  have  been  worn  last  winter,  not  this 
summer. 

"  Gen1  Mclntosh  is  appointed  to  the  Command  of  Fort  Pitt  and 
the  Back  settlements,  &c. 

"  I  am  content  should  they  Remove  almost  any  General  Except 
his  Excellency.  The  Country  even  Congress  are  not  aware  of 
the  Confidence  the  army  Places  in  him,  or  motions  would  never 
have  been  made  for  Gates  to  take  the  Command. 

"  Our  army  have  not  yet  taken  the  field  nor  do  I  suspect  it  very 
shortly.  Two  Regiments  are  ordered  into  Tents  as  being  sickly. 
The  Army  in  Gen1  is  not  very  sickly. 

"  I  am,  kind  Sir,  with  Compliments  to  Miss  Mather,  your  hum1 
Serv1  "  EZRA  SELDEN. 

"  Doct.  Samuel  Mather, 
"  Lyme,  Conn." 

1  This  letter,  and  the  one  from  White  Plains  of  Aug.  nth,  from  the  original 
in  possession  of  Mr.  H.  M.  Selden,  Haddam  Neck,  Conn. 


Events  in  1778-79.  s9 

This  interesting  letter  is  supplemented  by  one 
from  John  Morin  Scott  to  Gates,  which  doubtless  re 
flected  the  satisfaction  of  the  people  at  large  with  the 
terms  of  the  French  treaty.  Scott,  who  was  now 
Secretary  of  State  for  New  York,  seems  to  have 
been  a  warm  friend  and  admirer  of  Gates,  but  we 
have  no  hint  in  the  letter  that  he  would  have  ap 
proved  his  substitution  for  Washington  in  the  chief 
command  of  the  army,  as  the  Conway  clique  pro 
posed.  He  writes  : 

"  HURLEY  [near  Kingston,  N.  Y.],  May  i6th,  1778. 
"  DEAR  GENERAL  : 

"  When  I  was  last  at  Fish  Kill  I  waited  two  days  in  expecta 
tion  of  your  arrival,  but  was  unfortunately  disappointed  of  the 

pleasure  of  seeing  you. 

******* 

"  I  congratulate  you  on  the  present  promising  aspect  of  our 
affairs.  How  often  have  we  had  reason  since  our  present  con 
flict  to  say  '  The  dawn  is  overcast — the  morning  lowers.'  But 
now,  thanks  to  a  kind  providence,  we  have  reason  to  hope  that 
the  bright  sunshine  of  peace,  established  Liberty  &  prosperity, 
both  public  &  private,  will  speedily  shine  upon  us  ;  that  e'er 
long  we  shall  be  able  to  sit  down  under  our  own  vines  and  Fig 
trees,  recounting  with  delight  our  doubtful  tho'  successful  strug 
gles  for  Liberty,  and  have  none  to  make  us  afraid. 

"  Our  Treaty  with  France  has,  I  think,  been  wisely  concerted 
on  our  part ;  and  exhibits  a  degree  of  Generosity  and  disinterest 
edness  on  the  part  of  France,  which  was  hardly  to  be  expected 
from  a  Court  grown  old  in  Intrigues,  and  remarkably  sedulous  in 
securing  advantages  by  Negotiation.  I  wait  with  Impatience  to 
hear  further  about  the  expected  arrival  o/  Commissioners  from 
the  Court  of  London.  Their  errand,  if  founded  on  the  two  Bills 
we  have  seen,  will  doubtless  be  unsuccessful.  A  meer  Nolumus 
taxere,  a  repeal  of  certain  detestable  acts,  and  a  tender  of  pardon, 
the  acceptance  of  which  would  necessarily  imply  guilt,  must  be 
very  unsavory  to  the  American  Taste,  especially  after  an 


QO  Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

acknowledgment  of  our  Independence  by  one  of  the  first  powers 
in  Europe. 

"  I  hope  we  shall  be  stronger  than  ever,  both  in  Council  and  in 
the  Field.  This  Summer  will  require,  in  my  opinion,  a  greater 
strength  of  Head  &  arm  than  any  we  have  passed  since  the  com 
mencement  of  the  controversy.  I  wish  you  all  imaginable 
Health  and  Happiness, 
"lam, 

"  Dear  General, 

"  With  the  utmost  sincerity  and  respect, 

"  Your  most  obedient  Servant, 

"JNO.  MORIN  SCOTT. 
"  Honorable  Major  General  Gates." 

The  principal  event  of  the  year  was  the  battle  of 
Monmouth,  fought  June  2Qth.  Abandoning  Philadel 
phia,  the  enemy  marched  up  through  New  Jersey  to 
New  York.  Washington  broke  up  camp  at  Valley 
Forge  and  followed  in  pursuit.  His  advance  over 
took  the  British  rear,  and  some  sharp  fighting  took 
place,  resulting  decidedly  to  the  advantage  of  the 
Americans.  The  action  lacked  completeness,  as  but 
small  portions  of  either  army  were  engaged.  Among 
graduates  present  were  probably  the  greater  part  of 
those  mentioned  as  being  in  the  Valley  Forge  en 
campment.  Paterson,  Russell,  Sherman,  Hull,  the 
two  Seldens,  Chipman,  Taylor,  Cogswell,  Alden,  are 
known  to  have  been  on  the  field.  Col.  Russell  for  a 
time  commanded  Varnum's  brigade,  which  was  closely 
engaged.  With  many  others  he  was  all  but  overcome 
by  the  great  heat  of  the  day  and  the  much  marching 
and  countermarching  his  brigade  was  required  to  do. 

After  the  battle  Washington  continued  his  march 
northward,  and  crossing  the  Hudson,  went  into  camp 

1  From  the  original  in  the  Gates  Papers,  New  York  Historical  Society. 


Events  in  1778-79.  91 

at  White  Plains,  where  he  remained  through  the 
summer  and  fall.  The  army  here  was  the  largest 
Continental  force  ever  assembled  at  one  point  or 
united  under  his  immediate  command.  It  seems  to 
have  impressed  the  British  with  its  strength  and  con 
dition,  as  they  made  no  attempt  to  force  it  into 
a  pitched  battle.  Most  of  our  Continental  graduates 
then  in  the  field,  about  forty  in  number,  were  to 
be  found  in  this  camp.  Fifteen  or  twenty  more,  in 
cluding  several  in  State  service,  were  on  duty  at 
other  points.1 

From  this  camp  we  hear  again  from  Adjutant 
Selden,  as  follows  : 

"  WHITE  PLAINS,  August  n,  1778. 
"  SIR  : 

"  Yours  of  the  25111  of  July  came  safe  to  hand  by  Mr.  Burnham, 
which  at  that  time  I  had  not  leisure  to  return  you  my  thanks  for. 

"  Our  army  continues  their  post  at  White  Plains,  keeping 
strong  Guards  Posted  between  3  and  4  miles  advanced  of  our 
Front.  Large  Detachments  are  kept  constantly  advanced  of  our 
guards,  near  the  Enemies  lines  ;  and  it  is  not  seldom  that  our 
Scouts  come  athwart  theirs.  It  so  happened  the  other  day  that 
Two  parties  were  taking  possession  of  an  Eminence  ;  they  met 
on  the  Summit ;  both  being  surprised,  they  exchanged  a  few 
rounds  by  way  of  compliment :  The  Enemy  retired  but  carried 
off  their  dead  and  wounded  if  any.  We  received  no  damage. 

"  A  Corps  of  Light  Infantry  is  now  forming  by  draughts  from 
the  several  Battalions,  which  with  a  junction  of  Col.  Grahams 
Militia,  will  compose  a  body  of  about  1500  or  1600.  This  Corps 
is  intended  to  be  officered  with  the  best  partisan  officers,  Com 
manded  by  Brigadier  General  Scott,  from  Virginia,  the  intention 
of  which  is  to  preserve  the  safety  and  ease  of  the  army,  and  to  be 
in  greater  readiness  to  attack  or  repel  the  Enemy.  This  Corps 

1  Nearly  all  the  graduates  named  as  having  joined  the  new  Continental  army 
early  in  1777  continued  with  it  for  four  years,  when  a  reduction  in  the  Lines 
took  place.  The  number  remained  about  the  same,  as  recent  graduates  entered 
the  service  where  others  fell  out. 


92  Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

will  be  constantly  in  front  of  the  Army,  and  will  in  a  great 
measure  prevent  the  unnecessary  Fatigue  of  the  Troops,  by  De 
tachments  for  Scouts. 

"  These  Draughts  to  continue  in  this  Corps  until  the  Light  In 
fantry  of  ye  army  shall  be  arranged,  agreeable  to  the  New 
establishment  ordered  by  Congress.  For  the  completion  of 
which  a  Committee  from  Congress  is  hourly  expected. 

"  The  Tryal  of  Majr  General  Lee,  proves  of  very  long  duration 
as  it  is  not  yet  over  ;  he  has  thrown  in  his  defence  in  Writing. 
But  I  fancy  his  satyrical  turns  (of  which  he  is  master)  upon 
particular  gentlemen  will  be  only  verbal.  I  am  informed  he 
affects  to  treat  some  officers  with  Great  Neglect. 

"  Majr  General  Lincoln  has  arrived  at  Head  Quarters  and  taken 
Command.  We  hourly  expect  important  News  from  Rhode 
Island. 

"  You  may  Depend  on  my  endeavoring  to  pen  for  you  every 
thing  which  I  shall  deem  worthy  your  attention,  either  for  in 
formation  or  Divertion. 

"  Must  Conclude  with  wishing  you  &  yours  prosperity  and 
Friendship  with 

"  E.  SELDEN. 

"  N.  B.— My  Compliments  to  Mrs.  Mather  &  Miss  Alice. 

"Docr  Sam1  Mather,  Lyme,  Connecticut." 

On  August  29th  occurred  what  is  known  as  the 
battle  of  Rhode  Island,  the  only  military  event  in  the 
year  of  any  consequence  after  Monmouth.  Gen. 
Sullivan,  commanding  in  that  quarter,  attempted,  with 
the  assistance  of  a  French  fleet,  to  dislodge  the 
enemy  from  Newport.  In  this  he  failed,  but  an  en 
gagement  took  place  at  Quaker  Hill,  about  twelve 
miles  north  of  the  town,  in  which  our  troops  fought 
well  and  repulsed  the  enemy.  The  brunt  of  the 
action  was  sustained  by  two  Continental  brigades 
which  Washington  had  detached  from  his  camp  at 
White  Plains.  One  of  the  regiments  was  Col.  S.  B. 


Events  in  1779-80.  93 

Webb's,  among  whose  officers,  as  already  stated, 
there  were  several  young  graduates,  namely  :  Major 
Huntington,  Captains  Wyllys,  Williams,  Walker, 
possibly  Wooster,  and  Lieutenant  Welles.  With 
Col.  H.  Jackson's  Massachusetts  regiment  were  Lieu 
tenants  Cogswell,  C.  Selden,  and  Barker.  Maj.  Peck 
was  Sullivan's  assistant  adjutant-general.  Maj.  Porter 
and  Capt.  Ashley  were  also  there  ;  and  it  would 
appear  that  all  of  them  took  part  in  the  battle. 
Jackson's  regiment  was  complimented  on  its  good 
behavior.  These  officers  remained  in  Rhode  Island 
about  a  year  after  this,  and  then  returned  with  their 
commands  to  Washington's  army  on  the  Hudson. 
Peck  continued  on  duty  at  Providence  until  the  fall 
of  1781. 

Later  in  the  year  Washington's  army  went  into 
winter-quarters  at  points  in  Connecticut,  New  Jersey, 
and  in  the  Highlands.  The  situation  at  the  college 
is  indicated  in  the  following  advertisement  in  the 
Connecticut  papers  : 

"The  Steward  of  Yale-College  hereby  requests  the  Parents 
and  Guardians  of  the  Students  to  assist  in  furnishing  a  supply  of 
Provisions  ;  without  which  it  will  be  very  difficult  if  not  imprac 
ticable  for  him  to  subsist  the  Scholars  the  ensuing  winter.  A 
generous  and  full  Price  shall  be  allowed  and  paid  either  in 
Money,  or  their  Sons'  Quarter  Bills,  as  shall  be  most  agreeable 

"YALE  COLLEGE,  Sept.  30,  1778." 


EVENTS  IN    1779-80. 

Short  Commons  at  College — Letters  from  Commissary  Colt — Yale  Loyalists — 
Gen.  Silliman  and  Judge  Jones — Storming  of  Stony  Point — Sherman, 
Hull,  Selden— Invasion  of  New  Haven — Ex-President  Daggett  and  the 
Students — Maj.  Huntington  Complimented — Death  of  Col.  Russell. 

THIS  was  the  year  of  the  storming  of  Stony  Point 
and  the  enemy's  invasion  of  New  Haven  and  other 
Connecticut  towns.  Both  events  made  a  stir — the 
former  as  illustrating  the  possibilities  of  the  Con 
tinental  soldier  when  well  disciplined  and  well  led  ; 
and  the  latter  as  being  apparently  an  unmilitary  and 
useless  move,  more  hurtful  in  its  moral  effect  to  the 
British  than  in  actual  damage  to  the  Americans. 
What  with  Sullivan's  expedition  against  the  Western 
Indians,  Harry  Lee's  surprise  of  Paulus  Hook,  and 
minor  operations  in  the  South,  the  account  for  the 
year  closed  quite  in  our  favor. 

At  the  college  there  were  serious  interruptions 
again.  The  students  had  been  dismissed  on  account 
of  short  commons  in  December  previous,  and  were 
not  recalled  for  two  months.  President  Stiles,  on 
February  2,  1779,  appealed  to  Gov.  Trumbull  for  a 
supply  of  flour,  and  it  was  only  on  his  assurance  that 
it  should  be  forthcoming  that  the  college  was  assem 
bled  on  the  1 8th.  On  the  next  day  the  president 
informed  the  governor  of  the  fact  as  follows : 

"  Encouraged  by  your  Favor  of  the  3d  inst,  I  have  suffered 

94 


Events  in   1 779-80.  95 

the  students  to  return  &  yesterday  set  up  College  orders,  the 
Steward  having  got  some  flour  for  a  beginning  in  setting  up  Com 
mons.  .  .  .  This  waits  upon  your  Excellency  praying  that 
you  would  be  pleased  to  favor  us  with  an  order  or  Permit  directed 
to  Col.  Fitch  or  Mr.  Colt  for  supplying  the  Steward  with  flour  to 
the  amount  of  fifty  barrels  if  necessary." 

A  still  longer  break  will  occur  in  the  summer  and 
fall  in  consequence  of  the  New  Haven  raid,  but  the 
lack  of  supplies  was  generally  the  main  reason  for 
the  frequent  closing  of  the  college.  In  fact,  from 
this  time  to  the  end  of  the  war  it  became  more  and 
more  difficult  to  obtain  supplies  of  any  kind  either 
for  the  army  or  the  population.  "  At  one  time," 
says  Noah  Webster  "goods  were  so  scarce  that  the 
farmers  cut  corn  stalks  and  crushed  them  in  cider 
mills,  and  then  boiled  the  juice  down  to  a  syrup,  as  a 
substitute  for  sugar."  Assistant  Commissary  Royall 
Flint,  of  the  class  of  1773,  found  it  almost  impossi 
ble,  as  he  will  tell  us,  to  provide  flour  enough  for  the 
troops  at  Morristown  in  1 780.  Col.  Chauncey  Whit- 
tlesey,  class  of  1764,  Purchasing  Clothier  for  Con 
necticut,  was  this  year  paying  thirteen  dollars  per 
pair  for  good  shoes,  and  from  ten  to  twelve  dollars 
for  stockings,  while  his  classmate,  Col.  Peter  Colt, 
Deputy  Commissary-General  of  Purchases  for  the 
Eastern  Department,  was  hard  at  work  trying  to  keep 
the  soldiers'  ration  up  to  the  regulation  amount.  On 
this  point  we  have  two  letters  from  Colt,  written  to 
General  Gates,  then  commanding  the  Department, 
which  have  their  interest. 

The  first  is  as  follows  : 

1  From  the  original  in  the  Trumbull  Papers,  Mass.  Historical  Society. 


96  Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

"  HARTFORD,  Feb'y  12 — 79. 
"  HONL  M.  GENERAL  GATES  : 

"  Sir — From  the  most  exact  survey  of  our  stores,  find  we  have  a 
much  better  supply  of  Meat  this  season  than  last,  &  a  much  worse 
supply  of  Flour. 

"  The  Troops  at  Providence  &  other  posts  under  command  of 
General  Sullivan,  are  the  best  supplied  of  any  in  my  department, 
&  their  stock  will  not  more  than  subsist  them  till  May.  General 
Putnam  &  General  McDougall  are  much  worse  supplied — no 
Flour  can  be  brought  from  the  Southard  for  our  Relief  until 
June. — 

"  The  Farmers,  in  State  of  N.  York  have  sold  nearly  their  whole 
stock  of  old  wheat their  new  crops  are  scanty  &  almost  uni 
versally  witholden  ;  tho  we  give  Eight  Doll5  pr  bushel  for  wheat, 
&  Twenty  two  &  half  Doll5  pr  b1  for  Flour. — The  transportation 
has  been  so  very  bad  the  whole  of  this  winter,  and  will  doubtless 
remain  bad  till  May,  that  we  can't  remove  much  Flour  Eastward 
were  we  in  present  possession  of  it.  Under  these  circumstances 
think  it  necessary  to  lessen  the  quantity  of  Bread  issued  to  the 
Troops  to  a  pound  pr  Man  pr  diem  &  where  there  is  no  Rice  to  de 
liver  in  lieu  of  Flour,  to  deliver  meat  instead  agreable  to  the  for 
mer  Rations.  If  this  meets  with  your  approbation,  your  Honour 
will  please  give  such  orders  to  the  Issuing  Department  as  will 
authorize  them  to  comply  with  this  request — I  am  fully  convinced 
that  Dutchess  &  Wl-  Chester  Counties,  where  my  whole  depend- 
ance  for  Flour  lies,  will  not  produce  more  than  half  as  much  as  I 
got  last  year.  "  I  am  your  Honour's 

"  Most  respectfull  hum.  Servt., 

"  PETER  COLT, 

"  D.C.G.P."  ' 

The  second  letter  concerns  the  ration  of  rum 
which  our  revolutionary  fathers  considered  as  much 
of  an  essential  as  meat  or  flour.  In  this  they  kept 
up  the  practice  of  the  British  army  to  which  they  had 
been  accustomed  themselves  in  the  French  and  In 
dian  war.  This  letter  is  also  to  Gates. 

1  This  and  the  letter  following  from  the  originals  among  the  Gates  Papers, 
New  York  Historical  Society. 


Events  in  17 79-80.  97 

"  WETHERSFIELD,  June  16,  '79. 
"  SIR  : 

"  By  Letters  from  Miller  and  Tracy,  my  assistants  at  Boston 
find  they  have  your  Honour's  orders  for  such  Quantities  of  Rum 
as  Mr.  Southwick  may  think  proper  to  call  on  them  for — He  has 
requested  them  to  send  forward  weekly  Ten  hhd.  of  N.  E.  &: 
eight  of  W.  I.  Rum — that  quantity  will  cost  upwards  of  ,£13,000 
pr  week — a  sum  much  beyond  my  abilities  to  furnish  for  that  par 
ticular  purpose,  &  is  upwards  of  8,500  gills  pr  day. 

"  The  proportion  of  Wt-  Ind.  Rum  is  much  greater  than  is  used 
at  the  main  army. 

"  As  it  will  be  utterly  impossible  for  me  in  the  present  state  of 
the  currency,  to  keep  up  that  supply  of  spirits,  even  of  the  poor 
est  kind,  I  must  request  your  Honour's  direction  that  a  Less 
Quantity  be  issued  to  the  Troops,  &  that  a  great  proportion  of 
what  is  delivered  the  troops  may  be  common  Rum — I  would  wish 
to  make  every  kind  of  supplies  in  the  fullest  manner,  &  in  kind 
to  the  satisfaction  of  the  army,  whose  pay  and  subsistence  is  but 
indifferent  :  but  it  is  out  of  my  power.  Congress  cannot  furnish 
money  sufficient  for  the  purpose. 

"  I  have  the  Honour 

"  to  be,  with  great  Respect 
"  Your  most  Obt.  hum.  Ser. 

"  PETER  COLT, 

"  D.C.G. 
11  Hon.  M.  General  Gates." 

Colonel  Colt  was  engaged  from  1777  to  the  end  of 
the  war  with  the  exacting  duties  of  his  important 
office.  His  name  is  not  familiar  even  to  close  readers 
of  our  revolutionary  history,  for  the  reason  that  the 
heads  of  the  subsistence  departments  are  seldom 
mentioned  in  the  published  correspondence  of  the 
time.  Such  men  as  Colonel  Hugh  Hughes  of  New 
York,  Colonel  Ephraim  Elaine  of  Pennsylvania,  and 
others,  whose  services  in  providing  for  the  needs  of 
the  army  were  great,  are  comparatively  unknown  to 


98  Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

us.     Colt  was  one  of  these  almost  forgotten  powers 
who  helped  to  keep  the  Continental  soldier  alive. 

In  common  with  all  the  colleges  Yale  had  among 
her  graduates  a  small  proportion  of  Tories.  Some 
of  them  assumed  a  neutral  attitude  and  remained  in 
more  or  less  seclusion  at  their  homes  in  different 
parts  of  New  England  and  New  York.  A  few  be 
came  pronounced  royalists  and  attained  prominence 
on  the  other  side.  Such  was  Edmund  Fanning,  of 
the  class  of  1757,  who  received  the  colonelcy  of  a 
Provincial  corps  in  New  York,  and  who,  after  the  war, 
was  appointed  successively  Lieutenant-Governor  of 
Nova  Scotia,  Governor  of  Prince  Edward's  Island, 
and  Brigadier-General  in  the  British  Army.  John 
Peters,  class  of  1759,  appeared  as  Lieutenant-Colonel 
of  the  Queens  Loyal  Rangers,  organized  in  Canada, 
and  fought  under  Burgoyne  down  to  the  evening  be 
fore  the  surrender,  when,  with  the  other  Provincial 
officers  and  men,  he  received  permission  to  attempt  an 
escape  from  camp  and  succeeded.  The  few  graduates 
who  were  clergymen  of  the  English  Church  were,  al 
most  without  exception,  loyalists  ;  Bishop  Seabury, 
class  of  1 748,  for  example,  and  the  Rev.  Luke  Babcock, 
class  of  1755.  Mr.  Babcock's  case  is  noticeable  in 
view  of  the  fact  that  his  father  and  two  brothers,  all 
graduates,  were  prominent  "  rebels  "  ;  although  as  to 
divisions  in  households,  it  may  be  mentioned  that 
Heathcote  Muirson,  an  ardent  young  graduate  of 
the  class  of  1776,  who,  as  a  volunteer,  took  part  in 
some  successful  enterprises,  and  finally  fell  mortally 
wounded  in  the  American  cause,  was  the  only  "  rebel  " 
member  of  a  well-known  loyalist  family  on  Long  Isl- 


Events  in   17  79-80. 


99 


and.  Probably  the  most  bitter  of  our  Tory  gradu 
ates  was  Judge  Thomas  Jones,  of  the  class  of  1750. 
Birth,  connections,  judicial  position,  and  church 
ties  combined  to  make  him  a  strict  monarchist 
and  ministerialist  in  politics  and  an  aristocrat  in 
society.  Personally  he  was  eminently  respectable. 
The  Revolution,  however,  worked  his  ruin.  He 
seems  to  have  had  an  instinctive  hate  for  the  move 
ment,  and  he  denounced  it  vigorously  and  publicly. 
When  hostilities  opened  on  Long  Island  in  the  sum 
mer  of  1776,  Washington  ordered  his  arrest  and  re 
moval  to  Connecticut  as  a  disaffected  person,  whose 
presence  in  the  vicinity  of  the  two  armies  could  not 
be  permitted.  Released  on  parole  in  December  fol 
lowing,  he  returned  to  his  home  at  Fort  Neck  on 
Long  Island,  but  was  again  seized  as  a  prisoner  in 
1779  and  finally  exchanged  in  1780.  In  1781  he 
sailed  for  England,  where  he  remained  until  his 
death.  His  losses  and  trials  preying  upon  his  sensi 
tive  nature,  he  seems  to  have  sought  relief  in  part  by 
writing  a  history  of  the  American  Revolution  from 
his  own  standpoint.  This  work,  which  has  been  pub 
lished  within  a  few  years,  is  curious  and  interesting, 
but  singularly  replete  with  grave  misstatements  and 
prejudiced  opinions.  Nothing  shows  the  intensity 
of  the  Judge's  feelings  more  than  his  denunciation  of 
his  Alma  Mater,  which  he  describes  as  "a  nursery  of 
sedition,  of  faction,  and  republicanism" •— "  a  college 
remarkable  for  its  persecuting  spirit,  its  republican 
principles,  its  intolerance  in  religion  and  its  utter 
aversion  to  Bishops  and  all  Earthly  Kings."  This, 
on  the  whole,  is  good  evidence  of  the  steadfast  and 
generous  support  Yale  gave  to  the  Revolution. 


ioo         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

The  case  of  Judge  Jones  recalls  the  mishap  that 
befell  General  Silliman  in  May  of  this  year.  The 
General  was  entrusted  with  the  guard  of  the  western 
end  of  the  Connecticut  coast,  with  head-quarters  at 
his  home  on  Holland  Hill,  two  miles  north  of  Fair- 
field.  Being  a  vigilant  officer,  especially  disliked  by 
refugees  and  loyalists,  a  whale-boat  party  on  Long 
Island  determined  to  effect  his  capture.  Crossing 
the  Sound  on  the  evening  of  the  ist  of  May,  they 
broke  into  his  house  about  midnight  and  carried  him 
off  to  the  enemy,  with  whom  he  remained  a  prisoner 
for  a  year.  As  the  Americans  had  no  one  in  their 
possession  at  that  time  whom  the  British  would  ex 
change  for  General  Silliman,  it  was  proposed  to  re 
capture  Judge  Jones  much  in  the  same  way  that  the 
General  had  been  seized,  and  offer  him  in  exchange. 
The  plan  succeeded.  The  Judge  was  taken  at  his 
house  on  Long  Island  on  the  evening  of  the  6th  of 
November  following,  and  on  the  28th  of  April,  1780, 
the  exchange  between  the  two  graduates,  old  college 
mates,  was  effected — the  General  for  the  Judge.  The 
General  received  a  very  warm  welcome  from  his  towns 
men  on  his  return  home. 

In  the  spring  of  this  year  also,  the  enemy  captured 
David  Bushnell,  inventor  of  the  torpedo,  and  Jabez 
H.  Tomlinson,  then  a  Junior  in  college,  who  was 
visiting  near  Stratford,  but  both  were  soon  released 
as  civilians.  Upon  graduation  Tomlinson  entered 
the  service.  It  was  to  him  that  Andre  gave  the  pen- 
portrait  of  himself  which  is  now  in  the  college 
library. 

Military  plans  and  operations  in  the  North  in  1779 


Events  in  1779-80.  101 

centred  in  a  certain  sense  on  Stony  Point.  From 
the  unpublished  correspondence  of  Sir  Henry  Clin 
ton,  then  the  British  commander-in-chief  at  New 
York,  it  would  appear  that  an  effort  was  to  be  made 
in  the  summer  of  this  year  to  draw  Washington  out 
of  his  impregnable  position  at  West  Point,  and  com 
pel  him  to  fight  in  the  open  field.  With  this  in  view, 
Clinton  moved  up  the  Hudson,  and  on  the  3ist  of 
May  occupied  the  strong  post  of  Stony  Point  at 
King's  Ferry,  which,  with  Verplank's  Point  opposite 
on  the  east  side,  commanded  what  was  known  as  the 
short  line  of  communication  between  the  New  Eng 
land  and  Middle  States.  Its  severance  at  that  point 
Clinton  imagined  might  have  the  effect  of  bringing 
Washington  down  to  dispute  its  possession  with 
him.  Washington,  with  his  inferior  force,  declined 
the  challenge,  and  Clinton,  leaving  ample  garrisons 
at  both  Stony  and  Verplank's  Points,  returned  to 
New  York  to  await  reinforcements  expected  from 
England.  Upon  their  arrival,  he  proposed  to  strike 
into  New  Jersey  and  again  cut  Washington's  supply 
line,  either  at  Middlebrook  or  even  Easton,  Pennsyl 
vania.  With  King's  Ferry  also  in  his  hands,  the 
British  commander  felt  confident  that  the  distressed 
American  army — New  England  having  been  drained 
of  provisions — would  be  forced  to  attack  him  in  New 
Jersey  to  restore  its  southern  communications.  This 
would  bring  about  the  desired  campaign  in  a  more 
open  country. 

Finding  that  the  main  body  of  the  enemy  had  re 
turned  to  New  York,  Washington  determined  to 
attempt  the  capture  of  the  isolated  garrisons  left  at 


102          Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

King's  Ferry.  As  in  the  previous  year,  he  organized 
a  corps  of  light  infantry  to  cover  his  front  and  be 
ready  to  act  on  an  emergency  at  the  shortest  notice. 
It  consisted  of  four  battalions — in  all  some  fifteen 
hundred  men  and  officers — under  the  command  of 
General  Wayne.  By  careful  selection  of  the  best 
soldiers  from  every  regiment  in  the  army  and  the 
choice  of  the  most  experienced  officers,  it  was  made 
a  thoroughly  trustworthy  body  from  whose  prowess 
in  the  field  something  might  be  expected.  Two  of 
the  battalions  were  organized  from  the  New  England 
lines,  and  in  these  we  may  expect  to  find  a  few 
of  our  graduates.  The  rolls  indicate  that  six  or  more 
served  with  the  corps  at  different  times  during  the 
season,  namely,  Lieut.-Colonel  Isaac  Sherman,  Major 
William  Hull,  and  Captains  Ezra  Selden,  Theophilus 
Munson,  Nehemiah  Rice,  and  Nathaniel  Webb. 
With  the  exception  of  Hull  they  belonged  to  the 
Connecticut  battalion,  commanded  by  Colonel  Meigs. 
All  were  old  soldiers.  Sherman,  the  second  in  com 
mand,  was  a  veteran  of  the  siege  of  Boston,  the  New 
York  campaign,  Trenton,  Princeton,  Germantown  (?), 
Valley  Forge,  and  Monmouth.  In  addition,  he  had 
served  with  the  light  infantry  in  the  previous  year 
under  Gen.  Charles  Scott.  The  captains  could  also 
show  a  fine  record.  Major  Hull  was  honored  for 
a  time  with  the  command  of  the  Massachusetts 
battalion,  composed  of  the  seven  light  companies  of 
Paterson's  and  Bailey's  brigades  at  West  Point. 
Sherman,  Hull,  and  all  the  field  officers  of  Wayne's 
Corps  were  selected  by  Washington  himself  ;  and  there 
can  be  little  doubt  that  at  the  time  of  their  selection 


Events  in   1 779-80.  103 

he  had  in  mind  the  difficult  and  hazardous  service 
they  were  afterwards  called  upon  to  perform — the  as 
sault  upon  the  enemy's  garrison  at  Stony  Point. 

This  storming  of  Stony  Point  was  confessedly  a 
brilliant  piece  of  work.  British  officers  themselves  had 
words  of  high  praise  for  it.  The  point  assaulted  was 
a  rugged  promontory  jutting  into  the  Hudson  at  the 
southern  bend  of  Haverstraw  Bay,  formed  by  nature 
for  successful  defence,  and  held  at  the  time  by  nearly 
six  hundred  regulars,  protected  by  guns,  works,  and 
abatis.  On  the  evening  of  July  i5th,  Wayne  and 
his  infantry  approached  it  silently,  and  dividing  into 
two  columns,  moved  to  the  assault  at  midnight. 
With  such  courage,  firmness,  rapidity,  and  exact  ob 
servance  of  orders  did  the  assailants  push  up  the 
steep  rock  on  opposite  sides,  that  in  precisely  half  an 
hour,  in  spite  of  the  sharp  fire  poured  upon  them  by 
the  enemy,  they  had  carried  the  works  and  forced  the 
garrison  to  surrender.  Guns,  prisoners,  and  stores 
were  taken,  but  the  moral  effect  of  the  exploit  was 
still  more  valuable  in  greatly  increasing  the  con 
fidence  of  the  Continental  army  in  itself  and  in 
compelling  some  wholesome  respect  from  the  enemy. 

Sherman,  Hull,  Selden,  and  Munson  were  in  the 
thick  of  this  attack.  Several  officers  were  wounded  , 
but  none  as  seriously  as  Selden.  He  was  struck  in 
the  back  by  a  musket-ball,  which  was  soon  extracted, 
and  he  remained  in  the  service  to  the  end  of  the  war  ; 
but  he  never  fully  recovered  from  the  injury,  and 
finally  died  from  its  effects  in  1784.  His  comrades 
in  the  army  remembered  him  with  affection  and  re 
spect  as  an  officer  of  merit  and  a  man  of  high  prom- 


104          Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

ise.  When  Selden  retired  from  the  infantry  Capt. 
Rice  took  his  place,  and  Munson,  at  a  later  date,  was 
relieved  by  Webb.  It  is  worth  while  also  to  notice 
here  the  feelings  of  indignation  unexpectedly  excited 
among  a  number  of  the  officers  of  the  corps  in  con 
sequence  of  Wayne's  failure  to  mention  them,  as  they 
deserved,  in  his  official  report  to  Washington.  Sher 
man  and  Hull,  and  Majors  Murfree  and  Posey,  two 
officers  from  the  South,  felt  themselves  slighted  and 
insulted.  Posey  and  Sherman  wrote  so  pointedly  to 
Wayne  that  he  considered  his  personal  honor  in 
volved,  and  hinted  at  the  reparation  due  a  soldier  and 
a  gentleman  ;  but  both  officers  disclaimed  any  impu 
tation  upon  his  military  character  or  sense  of  justice, 
and  the  matter  went  no  further.  That  Sherman's 
feelings  were  deeply  wounded  appears  from  the  fol 
lowing  extract  from  his  letter  to  Wayne  : 

"  There  appears,  in  the  account  you  have  given,  evident  marks 
of  a  State  partiality,  all  distinctions  of  which  kind  I  detest,  and 
ardently  wish  they  may  be  for  ever  banished  from  the  mind  of 
every  friend  to  his  country.  They  have  a  tendency  to  lay  a 
foundation  for  future  broils  ;  for  when  once  a  man  is  sensibly  in 
jured,  if  he  is  possessed  of  the  least  feeling,  he  doth  not  soon  for 
get  it.  Why  cannot  we  consider  ourselves  as  one,  and  walk  hand 
in  hand  like  brethren  ?  Are  we  not  embarked  in  the  same  cause, 
and  does  not  our  independence  rest  on  our  united  efforts  ?  But 
rather  than  be  injured,  rather  than  be  trampled  upon  and  consid 
ered  as  insignificant  beings  in  the  scale,  my  blood  boils  at  the 
thought,  Nature  recoils •,  and  points  out  a  mode,  the  only  one  of  redress. 

"  I  am  not  anxious  to  have  my  name  transmitted  to  publick  view  ; 
neither  do  I  think  any  thing  can  be  said  of  me  more  than  barely 
attending  to  duty.  I  am  not  writing  for  myself ;  but  I  feel  for 
those  officers  under  my  command,  as  well  as  others,  who  merit  as 
much  as  those  most  distinguished  by  you. 

"  Duty,  separate  from  the  ties  of  friendship,  is  sufficient  to  in- 


Events  in   1779-80.  105 

duce  me  to  acquaint  you  with  the  sentiments  and  uneasiness  of 
many  officers  under  your  command,  which,  perhaps,  is  more  ex 
tensive  than  you  may  imagine.  It  is  still  in  your  power  to  place 
things  in  their  proper  channel,  to  gain  our  affection  and  confi 
dence,  and  then,  when  called  into  the  field,  inspired  by  your  ex 
ample,  animated  with  a  desire  of  crowning  you  with  fresh  laurels, 
every  thing  will  conspire  to  induce  us  to  play  the  man."  * 

Wayne,  however,  was  too  brave  and  generous  a 
soldier  to  indulge  in  wilful  injustice  to  his  comrades, 
and  when  he  heard  of  the  displeasure  referred  to,  and 
before  receiving  any  letters,  he  wrote  to  the  Presi 
dent  of  Congress,  regretting  the  omission  in  his  first 
report  of  "the  names  of  Lieut-Col.  Sherman,  Majors 
Hull,  Murphy,  and  Posey,  whose  good  Conduct  and 
Intrepidity  justly  entitled  them  to  that  attention." 

The  second  event  of  the  year  was  the  invasion  of 
New  Haven.  This  has  been  regarded  as  a  merely 
predatory  expedition  on  the  part  of  the  British,  fitted 
out  for  the  destruction  of  ships  and  boats  in  the  Con 
necticut  harbors,  the  seizure  of  cattle,  and  the  plun 
dering  and  burning  of  towns.  But  we  must  credit 
Clinton  with  having  had  an  ulterior  design  in  the 
case  which  might  justify  the  harsh  diversion.  It 
was  probably  never  known  to  that  generation  of 
Americans  that  he  hoped,  by  the  show  of  a  general 
onset  along  the  Connecticut  coast,  to  induce  Wash 
ington  to  move  into  that  State  for  its  protection,  and 
there  push  him  to  a  decisive  action.  It  was  the 
same  object  he  had  in  view  in  the  seizure  of  King's 
Ferry,  on  the  Hudson,  and  the  same  he  proposed  to 
effect  in  New  Jersey,  at  a  later  date,  with  the  prom 
ised  reinforcements.  But  Washington  again  showed 

1  The  letter  appears  in  full  in  Dawson's  "  Assault  on  Stony  Point,"  Appendix. 


io6         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

himself  Clinton's  superior.  He  "protected"  Con 
necticut  by  storming  Stony  Point.  While  neither 
commander  knew  what  project  the  other  was  medi 
tating  in  those  early  July  days,  it  did  happen  that 
the  moment  Clinton  heard  of  the  loss  of  his  King's 
Ferry  garrison  he  instantly  ordered  his  troops  and 
the  fleet  in  the  Sound,  which  was  to  extend  its  havoc 
to  New  London,  to  proceed  up  the  Hudson  to  re 
cover  the  captured  post.  His  plans  had  again  mis 
carried. 

The  "  invasion  "  occurred  July  5th,  and  with  it  we 
associate  several  familiar  incidents,  such  as  the  rally 
ing  of  the  students,  with  others,  for  the  defence  of 
the  town,  and  the  patriotic  conduct  of  ex-President 
Daggett.  The  enemy  landed  near  Savin  Rock,  and 
marched  through  West  Haven,  where  they  were  met 
by  small  bodies  of  militia.  Among  the  first  to  en 
counter  them  was  a  company  under  Capt.  James  Hill- 
house,  class  of  1773,  with  students  as  volunteers, 
who  are  credited  with  excellent  behavior  before  the 
red-coats.1  Col.  S.  B.  Webb,  of  Wethersfield,  in  re 
porting  the  attack  to  a  friend,  said  :  "  The  enemy, 
about  2,000,  under  the  infamous  Gov.  Tryon,  have 
been  at  New  Haven.  They  took  possession  of 
the  town  on  Monday  last,  there  being  only  about 
100  of  the  militia  to  oppose  them.  The  young  men 
of  the  town  and  the  collegians  behaved  gallantly- 
fought  them  as  long  as  it  could  be  of  service."  2  As 

1  A  full  account  of  the  attack  was  published  in  New  Haven,  in  1879,  by 
Capt.  Charles  Hervey  Townshend  in  a  pamphlet  entitled  "The  British  In 
vasion  of  New  Haven,  Conn.,"  etc.  It  includes  interesting  extracts  from  Dr. 
Stiles'  diary,  and  much  valuable  information  from  other  sources. 

5  From  the  "  Reminiscences  of  Gen.  Samuel  B.  Webb,"  by  his  son,  the  late 
Gen.  James  Watson  Webb,  of  New  York.  Privately  printed. 


Events  in   1779-80.  107 

to  President  Daggett,  perhaps  the  most  interesting 
account  of  the  part  he  took  in  the  affair  is  that  con 
tributed  to  Sprague's  "  Annals  of  the  American  Pul 
pit,"  by  Hon.  Elizur  Goodrich,  class  of  1779,  who 
was  engaged  in  the  skirmishing  himself.  He  says  : 

"  On  the  evening  of  the  4th  of  July,  1779,  a  force  of  twenty-five 
hundred  men,  which  had  previously  sailed  from  New  York, 
landed  in  the  south  part  of  West  Haven,  a  parish  of  New  Haven, 
about  five  miles  from  the  centre  of  the  town.  College  was,  of 
course,  broken  up,  and  the  students,  with  many  of  the  inhabi 
tants,  prepared  to  flee  on  the  morrow  into  the  neighboring 
country.  To  give  more  time  for  preparation,  and  especially  for 
the  removal  of  goods,  a  volunteer  company  of  about  a  hundred 
young  men  was  formed,  not  with  the  expectation  of  making  any 
serious  stand  against  such  a  force,  but  simply  of  retarding  or  di 
verting  its  march.  In  common  with  others  of  the  students,  I  was 
one  of  the  number,  and  I  well  remember  the  surprise  we  felt  the 
next  morning,  July  5th,  as  we  wrere  marching  over  West  Bridge 
towards  the  enemy,  to  see  Dr.  Daggett  riding  furiously  by  us  on 
his  old  black  mare,  with  his  long  fowling-piece  in  his  hand  ready 
for  action.  We  knew  the  old  gentleman  had  studied  the  matter 
thoroughly,  and  satisfied  his  own  mind  as  to  the  right  and  pro 
priety  of  fighting  it  out  ;  but  we  were  not  quite  prepared  to  see 
him  come  forth  in  so  gallant  a  style  to  carry  his  principles  into 
practice.  Giving  him  a  hearty  cheer  as  he  passed,  we  turned 
down  towards  West  Haven,  at  the  foot  of  the  Milford  Mills,  while 
he  ascended  a  little  to  the  west,  and  took  his  station  in  a  copse  of 
wood,  where  he  seemed  to  be  reconnoitring  the  enemy,  like  one 
who  was  determined  to  '  bide  his  time.'  As  we  passed  on 
towards  the  south  we  met  an  advanced  guard  of  the  British,  and 
taking  our  stand  at  a  line  of  fence,  we  fired  upon  them  several 
times,  and  then  chased  them  the  length  of  three  or  four  fields  as 
they  retreated,  until  we  suddenly  found  ourselves  involved  with 
the  main  body,  and  in  danger  of  being  surrounded.  It  was  now 
our  turn  to  run,  and  we  did  for  our  lives.  Passing  by  Dr.  Dag 
gett  in  his  station  on  the  hill,  we  retreated  rapidly  across  West 
Bridge,  which  was  instantly  taken  down  by  persons  who  stood 


io8         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

ready  for  the  purpose  to  prevent  the  enemy  from  entering  the 
town  by  that  road.  In  the  meantime  Dr.  Daggett,  as  we  heard 
the  story  afterwards,  stood  his  ground  manfully,  while  the  British 
columns  advanced  along  the  foot  of  the  hill,  determined  to  have 
the  battle  himself  as  we  had  left  him  in  the  lurch,  and  using  his 
fowling-piece  now  and  then  to  excellent  effect,  as  occasion  of 
fered,  under  the  cover  of  the  bushes.  But  this  could  not  last 
long.  A  detachment  was  sent  up  the  hill-side  to  look  into  the 
matter,  and  the  commanding  officer,  coming  suddenly,  to  his 
great  surprise,  on  a  single  individual  in  a  black  coat,  blazing 
away  in  this  style,  cried  out :  '  What  are  you  doing  there,  you  old 
fool,  firing  on  His  Majesty's  troops  ? '  '  Exercising  the  rights  of 
war]  says  the  old  gentleman.  The  very  audacity  of  the  reply, 
and  the  mixture  of  drollery  it  contained,  seemed  to  amuse  the 
officer.  'If  I  let  you  go  this  time,  you  rascal,'  says  he,  'will  you 
ever  fire  again  on  the  troops  of  His  Majesty?'  ' Nothing  more 
likely]  said  the  old  gentleman,  in  his  dry  way.  This  was  too 
much  for  flesh  and  blood  to  bear,  and  it  is  a  wonder  they  did  not 
put  a  bullet  through  him  on  the  spot.  However,  they  dragged 
him  down  to  the  head  of  the  column,  and  .  .  .  drove  him 
before  them  at  mid-day  under  the  burning  sun,  round  through 
Westville,  about  five  miles  into  the  town,  pricking  him  forward 
with  their,  bayonets  when  his  strength  failed,  and  when  he  was 
ready  to  sink  to  the  ground  from  utter  exhaustion.  .  .  ." 

Further  facts  connected  with  the  invasion  appear 
in  the  sketches  of  Dr.  Daggett,  Goodrich,  Williston, 
and  John  Hotchkiss.  The  latter,  a  graduate  of  thirty 
years'  standing,  was  killed  early  in  the  day.1 

1  Upon  the  landing  of  the  enemy  President  Stiles  dismissed  the  students,  and 
those  who  did  not  go  out  to  fight  retired  into  the  country.  Chancellor  Kent, 
then  a  Sophomore,  states  in  his  "Autobiography"  (N.  Y.  Genealog.  Record, 
Jan.,  1873)  that  he  went  to  a  neighboring  village  and  read  Blackstone's  com 
mentaries.  He  was  so  inspired  by  the  work  that  he  there  "  fondly  determined 
to  be  a  lawyer."  In  his  Phi  Beta  Kappa  address,  delivered  at  New  Haven 
many  years  later,  he  gives  some  interesting  recollections  (in  notes)  of  Tryon's 
raid. 

In  formally  dismissing  the  students  by  advertisement  Aug.  5th,  Dr.  Stiles 
says:  "  Such  is  the  dangerous  situation  of  the  Town  of  New  Haven  that  it  is 
not  judged  expedient  to  call  the  Undergraduate  Classes  together  again  this 
quarter.  It  is,  however,  recommended  to  the  scholars  to  apply  themselves  dili- 


Events  in   1779-80.  109 

That  New  Haven  was  not  burned  by  the  enemy  is 
sometimes  explained  by  the  fact  that  Col.  Edmund 
Fanning,  one  of  our  loyalist  graduates  already  re 
ferred  to,  accompanied  Tryon  on  the  expedition,  and 
interposed  in  behalf  of  the  college.  In  a  letter  cred 
ited  to  him,  written  in  1 789,  he  says  : 

"  I  still  retain  a  fond  remembrance  and  tender  affection  for 
that  well  regulated  seminary  of  religion  and  learning,  where 
under  the  Doctor's  tuition  [in  1753-55,  when  Dr.  Stiles  was 
Tutor],  I  made  such  progress  in  my  academical  instruction  as  has 
facilitated  greatly  those  instances  of  distinction  and  success  with 
Avhich  I  have  since  been  honoured  by  my  Royal  Sovereign  and 
his  people,  and  it  is  no  small  satisfaction  to  me  in  the  hour  of 
public  tranquillity  to  reflect  that  amid  the  Ravages  of  Civil  War, 
and  without  injury  or  infidelity  to  the  service  in  which  I  was  em 
ployed,  I  had  my  well-meant  share  in  averting,  in  the  moment  of 
impending  ruin,  its  utter  destruction.  May  Guardian  Angels 
still  preserve  it,  and  to  the  latest  desirable  period  of  his  life  may 
my  Reverend  and  learned  friend  Dr.  Stiles  continue  to  be  its 
principal,  its  ornament  and  well  merited  pride  and  glory."  1 

Col.  S.  B.  Webb's  Continental  Regiment  has  been 
referred  to  as  quite  a  Yale  Corps.  It  was  at  this 
date  still  in  Rhode  Island,  where  we  last  heard  of  it 
in  the  action  of  Aug.  29,  1778.  As  the  colonel  was 
a  prisoner,  and  the  lieut. -colonel  had  been  absent 
for  over  a  year,  Major  Huntington  was,  and  con 
tinued  to  be  for  some  time,  its  commanding  officer. 
That  it  was  regarded  as  a  fine  regiment  appears  from 
one  of  Hamilton's  reports  ;  but  the  most  appreciative 

gently  to  the  studies  of  their  respective  Classes  under  the  best  Tuition  they  can 
find  until  God  in  his  Providence  may  permit  them  to  be  peaceably  reassembled 
at  this  seat  of  Learning." 

1  This  extract  appears  in  a  letter  from  Amos  Botsford  to  Dr.  Stiles,  dated 
"Westmoreland,  New  Brunswick,  27th  July,  1789,"  printed  in  the  New  Haven 
Journal  and  Courier,  Oct  6,  1877, 


i  io         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

mention  of  it  is  from  the  pen  of  Inspector-General 
Baron  Steuben,  who,  on  Sept.  6,  1779,  entered  the 
following  remarks  on  his  manuscript  inspection  re 
turns,  preserved  in  the  New  York  Historical  Society  : 

"  This  Regt.  is  divided  into  7  comps  &  is  too  weak  to  form  a 
batallion,  the  only  fault  I  find  with  the  Regt. — it  being  for  the 
first  Review  the  best  in  order  of  any  Regt.  in  the  army.  Their 
arms  are  a  model.  The  officers  take  the  greatest  pains  with  their 
men.  The  Regt.  marches  perfectly,  &  has  truly  a  military  air. 
Majr.  Huntington  who  commands  the  Regt.  deserves  particular 
attention  for  the  superior  order  in  which  he  has  kept  the  Regt. 
The  officers  have  not  yet  received  their  commissions  &  I  cannot 
but  interest  myself  for  a  Corps  who  have  so  eminently  distin 
guished  themselves." 

Huntington  was  soon  promoted  Lieut-Colonel, 
and  Captain  Wyllys,  class  of  1773,  Major. 

The  record  for  this  year  closes  with  the  death  of 
Col.  Giles  Russell,  of  the  Eighth  Connecticut  Line, 
at  Danbury,  Oct.  28th.  He  was  an  excellent  officer, 
though  in  delicate  health,  having  suffered  for  some 
time  from  an  old  wound  received  in  the  French  and 
Indian  war.  He  had  served  in  the  campaign  around 
New  York,  at  Germantown,  Valley  Forge,  and  Mon- 
mouth.  Referring  to  his  loss  and  the  succession  to 
the  vacancy,  Washington  says  to  Gen.  Heath,  Nov. 
i,  1779  : 

"...  I  am  sorry  to  hear  of  Colonel  Russell's  death,  of  whose 
indisposition  I  had  not  known. 

"  Lieutenant-Colonel  Sherman's  right  of  promotion  to  the  rank 
of  Lieutenant-Colonel-Commandant  in  consequence  must  be  re 
ported  to  the  State  of  Connecticut  by  the  brigadiers  of  that  line, 
agreeable  to  the  terms  of  the  late  general  order,  as  must  also  the 
names  of  the  subalterns  of  the  8th  Regiment  entitled  to  promotion 


Rvents  in  1779-80.  m 

in  consequence  of  Colonel  Russell's  death.  The  State  will  signify 
their  approbation  to  the  Board  of  War,  who  will  issue  Commis 
sions  accordingly.  Then,  and  not  before,  Colonel  Sherman  will 
assume  his  new  Command.  .  .  . 

Sherman  assumed  this  command  Dec.  28th,  follow 
ing,  and  retained  it  until  the  consolidation  of  the 
regiments,  Jan.  i,  1781.  The  Eighth  Regiment  had 
thus  been  successively  commanded  by  three  gradu 
ates — Chandler,  Russell,  and  Sherman, — and  had  been 
engaged,  in  whole  or  in  part,  at  Germantown,  Mud 
Island,  Monmouth,  and  Stony  Point. 


EVENTS    IN    1780-81. 

The  Morristown  Huts — Severe  Winter  of  1780 — Letters  from  Major  Hunting- 
ton,  Commissary  Flint,  and  Others — Battle  of  Springfield,  N.  J. — David 
Humphreys,  Aid  to  Washington — Letters  from  Gov.  Livingston  and  Gen. 
Paterson — Dr.  Stiles  in  the  French  Camp — Death  of  Col.  Brown — Major 
Tallmadge  and  His  Services — Letter  on  Andre — Humphreys'  Attempt  on 
Clinton — Lieut. -Col.  Gray. 

A  DEPRESSING  year.  At  the  south,  in  May,  we 
lost  Charleston  ;  in  August  followed  the  Camden  dis 
aster.  Operations  in  the  north,  notwithstanding  the 
arrival  of  French  support,  were  confined  to  manoeu 
vres,  with  some  clever  minor  enterprises.  Take  the 
field  over,  and  fortune  smiled  on  the  enemy. 

More  than  this,  in  consequence  of  the  protraction 
of  the  contest,  public  activity  was  suffering  a  sort  of 
stagnation,  and  in  turn  the  army  in  the  field  suffered. 
The  absence  of  efficient  executive  departments  un 
der  the  Confederation  frequently  reduced  the  troops 
to  sore  straits.  Provisions,  clothes,  money,  and  men 
were  wanting  when  most  needed.  The  mass  of  the 
population  was  not  less  true  to  the  common  aim,  but 
it  experienced  a  reaction  from  the  earlier  impulse 
and  energy.  There  was  the  same  determination  to 
hold  out  to  the  end,  only  a  less  pronounced  enthusi 
asm,  much  cavilling  at  methods,  and  actually  fewer 
resources  at  hand. 

January  ushered  in  the  famous  cold  winter  of  1780, 
— snow  four  feet  deep  around  the  camps  in  the  high- 


112 


Events  in  1 780-81.  113 

lands,  and  "  so  intense  and  steady  was  the  weather  " 
that  for  twenty  days  no  thaw  could  be  observed  in 
places  most  exposed  to  the  sun.  It  was  the  winter 
when  the  enemy  in  New  York  could  send  horses  and 
artillery  down  the  bay  from  the  Battery  to  Staten 
Island  on  the  ice,  and  when  they  expressed  uneasiness 
lest  Washington  might  seize  the  opportunity  to  attack 
King's  Bridge  or  the  city  itself  by  way  of  the  frozen 
Hudson. 

Winter  quarters  at  Morristown  reminded  Washing 
ton's  troops  of  Valley  Forge  two  years  before.  If  any 
thing  this  season  was  severer.  Major  Huntington 
writing  to  his  colonel,  Webb,  at  Wethersfield,  says  : 

"  MORRISTOWN,  24th  December,  1779,  IN  CAMP. 

"...  You  will  by  the  date  perceive  that  we  are  in  camp,  tho' 
expect,  if  good  weather,  to  have  the  men's  Hutts  so  far  compleated 
that  they  may  go  into  them  on  Sunday  or  Monday.  The  officers' 
Hutts  are  not  begun,  nor  will  they  be  meddled  with  till  after  the  men 
have  finished  theirs.  The  severity  of  the  weather  hath  been  such 
that  the  men  have  suffer'd  much  without  shoes  and  stockings,  and 
working  half  leg  deep  in  snow.  Poor  fellows,  my  heart  bleeds 

for  them,  while  I  d my  country  as  void  of  gratitude.     I  wish 

you  would  send  on  to  me  all  the  cloathing  in  store  immediately. 
I  much  want  it  for  the  men,  tho'  am  Positively  forbid  by  the  Gen 
eral  using  scarlet  coats  on  any  ace*.  I  wish  that  Wyllys,  who 
will  be  at  nome  soon,  might  have  it  in  his  power  to  receive  some 
cloathing  and  forward  it  to  the  Regiment.  .  .  ."' 

Captain  Joseph  Walker,  class  of  1774,  also  of 
Webb's  regiment,  received  a  furlough  and  wrote 
from  Hartford  to  his  colonel  as  follows,  under  date  of 
Feb.  6,  1780: 

"  .    .    .1  left  the  Reg1  the  2ist  day  of  last  month  and  am  happy 
to  say  in  much  better  circumstances  at  that  time  than  they  had 
1  This  and  the  extract  following,  from  the  Webb  "  Reminiscences." 


U4         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

been  for  weeks  before.  Our  situation  in  regard  to  Provision  was 
such  I  never  wish  to  see  again.  Short  commons  ever  ought  to  be 
avoided  &  when  it  cannot  the  consequences  are  to  be  dreaded  in 
the  army — that  you  know.  However  I  can  with  pleasure  inform 
you  (&  what  I  think  will  give  you  no  small  satisfaction),  that  the 
Lads  bore  it  with  the  greatest  patience  and  fortitude.  We  con 
sidered  the  severity  of  the  season,  the  difficulty  of  transportation, 
and  were  willing  to  make  all  allowance  possible. 

"  My  good  friend,  it  requires  almost  the  wisdom  of  Solomon  to 
conduct  at  these  times,  and  the  virtue  of  the  Angel  Gabriel  to 
surmount  the  difficulties  which,  to  appearances,  come  upon  us 
as  it  were  in  a  moment. 

"  After  our  long  march  you  may  well  think  our  men  were  rather 
destitute  of  cloathing  ;  after  our  arrival  we  began  and  completed 
our  Hutts  which  destroyed  our  cloathing  still  more  &  to  my  cer 
tain  knowledge  we  had  not  more  than  Fifty  men  in  the  Reg1  re- 
turnd  fit  for  duty, — many  a  good  Lad  with  nothing  to  cover  him 
from  his  hips  to  his  Toes  save  his  Blanket,  some  wanting  one  thing 
&  some  another,  but  the  most  general  complaint  was  shoes — 

On  the  same  subject — the  winter  and  short  rations 
at  Morristown  —  Commissary  Royal  Flint,  class  of 
1773,  wrote  to  Washington  : 

"  SIR  : — I  have  frequently  within  these  few  days  acquainted  Col. 
Hamilton  with  my  prospects  of  supplies,  and  thought  I  had  good 
authority  for  all  I  communicated — yet  now  I  find  the  event  does 
not  precisely  agree  with  what  I  foretold.     As  soon  as  I  was  in 
formed  that  there  would  be  a  failure  of  Beef  Cattle  from  the  East 
ward,  I  used  the  most  probable  methods  of  procuring  a  supply  in 
this  State  [N.  J.],  and  I  had  reason  to  suppose  a  sufficiency  could 
be  collected  to  serve  the  army  several  weeks.    .     .     .    But  it  does 

not  yet  come,  and  the  army  are  almost  perishing  for  want. 

"  It  distresses  me  exceedingly  that  I  am  obliged  to  make  this 
report,  but  I  must  mention  facts.   My  expectations  are  as  follows  : 

Barrels. 

From  Mr.  Hooper  in  Sussex  County,  Salt  Meat,        .        400 
From  Pitts  Town        .......  50 

From  the  Counties  of  Middlesex  &  Somerset     .         .        250 

700 


Events  in  1780-81.  115 

At  the  North  River  are  Cattle  .         .         .  200  head. 

In  the  County  of  Orange  ....  150 

In  Sussex  at  least  .....  20 

In  care  of  Mr.  Dunham,  say     ....  50 

420 

Our  distresses  are  known  to  the  several  persons  who  have  charge 
of  the  foregoing  provisions,  and  I  am  persuaded  they  will  leave 
nothing  undone  to  forward  them.  I  have  no  absolute  dependence 
on  any  further  supplies  of  meat  than  are  mentioned  above.  The 
purchasers  here  say  they  could  buy  cattle  if  they  had  money,  of 
which  I  can  neither  give  nor  promise  them  any,  as  there  is  not 
the  least  prospect  that  any  adequate  sums  of  money  will  be  fur 
nished  the  department,  and  our  credit  is  totally  exhausted.  With 
respect  to  Bread  I  can  only  say  that  there  is  Grain  in  great  num 
ber  of  mills  in  this  State  which  is  getting  ready  as  fast  as  possible 
and  will  not  be  delayed  unnecessarily.  I  have  no  more  bread  at 
present  in  camp  than  will  serve  the  troops  to-morrow.  I  fear  the 
storm  will  keep  the  waggons  from  moving  as  well  as  the  cattle 
from  travelling. 

"  I  am  with  Great  Respect, 
"Your  Excellency's  Most 

"  Ob1  Serv', 
"  ROYAL  FLINT, 
"  Ass1  Comy  purchases. 
"  Morristown,  Jany  3d,  1780. 

"  His  Excellency  Gen1  Washington."  ' 

Flint  again  speaks  of  his  anxiety  and  exertions  as 
to  supplies  for  the  snow-bound  troops  in  camp  in  the 
following  letters.  On  Dec.  27,  1779,  he  wrote  to 
Col.  Henry  Champion,  Deputy  Commissary  in  Con 
necticut  : 

"  ....  If  you  fail  to  supply  us  our  case  will  grow  so  desperate 
that  the  troops  must  either  be  let  loose  to  seek  food  for  themselves 
or  expedients  must  be  used  to  compel  the  inhabitants  to  spare 
what  they  need  for  their  families  and  to  stock  their  plantations. 

1  Trumbull  Papers,  Mass.  Hist.  Soc. 


n  6         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

The  consequence  is  certain — there  is  no  possible  chance  of  escap 
ing  it.  The  General  will  see  his  army  suffer  the  greatest  extremity 
sooner  than  have  recourse  to  military  authority  for  relief.  He  is 
exceedingly  cautious  and  tender  in  such  points  ;  but  the  soldiers 
must  eat.  I  well  know  your  difficulties — what  you  have  to  en 
counter  from  a  want  of  cash — and  I  as  well  know  you  have  per 
severance  &  abilities  for  the  occasion.  Struggle  a  few  days  longer 
and  I  trust  your  embarrassments  will  be  removed I  can 
not  bear  the  idea  of  failing  at  this  advanced  stage  of  the  war 
when  there  is  so  good  a  prospect  of  bringing  it  to  a  fortunate 
close.  Was  our  army  now  to  break  up  for  want  of  provisions 
it  would  give  the  enemy  fresh  vigor  and  stimulate  them  to 
persist  in  a  contest  in  which  at  present  they  have  no  hope  of 
success.  Let  all  these  considerations  together  produce  such 
actions  as  will  enable  you  to  feed  the  army,  and  by  that  means 
render  such  a  service  to  your  country  as  ought  never  to  be 
forgotten."1 

This  earnest  appeal,  which  moved  Col.  Cham 
pion  to  renewed  exertions,  was  followed  a  few  days 
later  by  another  from  Flint,  addressed  to  Gov. 
Trumbull : 

"  MORRISTOWN,  Jan'y  6,  1780. 

"...  The  distress  of  the  army  for  several  days  past  hardly 
admits  of  a  description.  It  is  a  melancholy  fact  that  the  troops, 
both  officers  and  men,  have  almost  perished  for  want  of  pro 
visions.  In  many  instances  the  extremity  has  been  so  severe  as 
to  prompt  them  to  commit  depredations  on  the  property  of  the 
inhabitants.  This  sudden  calamity  was  occasioned  by  the  early 
commencement  and  unusual  rigor  of  the  winter,  attended  by 
heavy  and  repeated  falls  of  snow.  By  these  obstructions  trans 
portation  was  so  delayed  that  the  magazines  in  the  vicinity  were 
exhausted  before  relief  could  be  drawn  from  the  more  distant  re 
sources.  In  this  unfortunate  situation  the  Commander-in-Chief 
has  been  compelled  to  lay  the  Contiguous  Country  under  a  con 
tribution,  obliging  the  inhabitants  to  furnish  a  certain  quantity  of 

1  This  and  the  extract  following  from  MSS.  in  possession  of  Mr.  J.  F.  Morris, 
Hartford,  Conn. 


Events  in  1780-81.  n; 

provisions  within  a  special  time.  This  expedient,  however,  is 
only  to  produce  a  temporary  succour,  and  will  cease  its  opera 
tion  as  soon  as  the  ordinary  chanells  of  supply  are  open.  I  think 
there  is  a  tolerable  prospect  of  flour  from  the  Southern  States, 
but  our  principal  dependence  for  meat,  as  heretofore,  rests  on 
Connecticut.  As  Col.  Champion  has  expressed  his  fears  of  not 
continuing  the  supplies,  I  am  persuaded  your  Legislature  will 
consider  a  circumstance  that  merits  their  attention.  The  most 
material  obstruction  in  his  way  is  the  want  of  cash,  and  I  feel  no 
probability  of  a  speedy  and  adequate  remedy  to  this  evil  from 
the  Continental  Treasury.  I  must  therefore  request  your  Excel 
lency  to  represent  our  circumstances  to  your  Legislature,  and  I 
am  convinced  they  have  both  ability  and  inclination  to  adopt 
regulations  suitable  to  our  exigencies.  Your  state  has  exhibited 
too  many  proofs  of  its  attachment  to  the  army  to  make  me  doubt 
of  its  aid  on  the  present  occasion." 

By  great  exertions  on  the  part  of  quartermasters 
and  commissaries  sufficient  food  reached  camp,  and 
the  troops  kept  in  quarters. 

I?arly  in  the  summer  Washington  moved  the 
greater  part  of  his  army  toward  the  Hudson,  leaving 
two  brigades  in  New  Jersey  under  General  Greene. 
The  enemy,  under  Knyphausen,  marched  out  from 
Staten  Island,  and  attacked  this  force  on  June  23d  in 
the  vicinity  of  Springfield.  We  came  out  of  the  en 
gagement  with  credit.  One  of  the  brigades  was 
Stark's,  which  then  included  Webb's  regiment,  under 
Lieut. -Col.  Huntington,  and  Henry  Jackson's,  hav 
ing  eight  or  nine  graduates  among  their  officers. 

It  is  interesting  to  find — a  fact  not  heretofore 
brought  out — that  David  Humphreys  was  also  on  the 
ground  at  Springfield,  acting  as  aid-de-camp  to 
Greene,  and  that  he  transmitted  the  first  account  of 
the  fighting  to  the  Commander-in-Chief.  The  re- 


n8         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

port,  in  the  form  of  a  letter,  is  subjoined,  not  only  as 
new  material,  but  as  being  one  of  the  few  reports 
made  directly  from  the  battle-field  and  during  the 
progress  of  the  action,  found  in  Revolutionary  rec 
ords.  The  original  in  the  Sparks'  collection  at  Har 
vard  College  is  as  follows  : 

"  HEIGHTS  NEAR  SPRINGFIELD,  June  23,  '80, 

"n  o'clock,  A.M. 
"SiR: 

"  General  Greene  directs  me  to  inform  your  Excellency,  that  from 
the  best  intelligence  he  is  able  to  obtain,  the  enemy  are  now  out 
in  force,  with  seventeen  pieces  of  artillery — At  first  they  made  a 
demonstration  of  acting  on  his  right  ;  and  large  parties  were  seen 
from  the  heights  of  Springfield  filing  off  in  that  direction  :  A  con 
siderable  column,  in  the  meantime,  advanced  on  his  left,  where 
Major  Lee  with  a  body  of  militia  was  posted,  between  whom  and 
the  enemy  there  was  some  skirmishing  without  any  considerable 
effect. 

"  After  having  spent  two  or  three  hours,  in  various  manoeuvres 
apparently  with  a  design  of  gaining  our  flanks,  they  of  a  sudden 
contracted  their  front,  and  pushed  a  column  up  the  main  road  to 
Springfield  where  a  sharp  action  ensued  for  a  short  time,  between 
some  detachments,  which  were  posted  to  cover  our  artillery  on  the 
height,  and  then  advance. — Our  troops  retreated  in  order,  and 
brought  off  the  field  pieces. 

"  The  troops  are  advantageously  posted  to  annoy  the  enemy's 
progress — and  General  Greene  is  determined  to  dispute  every 
inch  of  strong  ground  with  them.  Indeed  they  must  have 
been  very  much  galled  before  they  got  possession  of  Springfield, 
as  they  recd  several  very  heavy  and  well  directed  fires  from 
Angel's  &  Shreeve's  Regts  which  behaved  with  the  greatest 
gallantry. 

"The  firing  has  now  principally  ceased — the  loss  on  either 
side  cannot  be  ascertained — on  our  it  is  not  great — Several  of 
our  wounded  are  brought  off — A  Dragoon  Horse  of  the  detach 
ment  which  escorted  General  Greene  was  killed  with  a  cannon 
shot.  I  have  heard  of  no  officers  killed  and  but  few  slightly 


Rvents  in  1780-81.  119 

wounded — they  have  this  moment  set  fire  to  two  or  three  build 
ings — how  far  the  conflagration  will  extend,  I  know  not — In  the 
greatest  haste — 

"  I  have  the  honor  to  be 

"  Your  Excellency's 

"  Most  Obed.  Hble  Serv4 

"  D.   HUMPHRYS. 

"  His  Excellency  Gen1  Washington." 
[Endorsed] 

Opened  at  Mr.  Lotts  5,  o'clock,  P.  M. 
by  your 

Hum1  Serv1 

ANTY  WAYNE." 

Humphreys  before  this  had  been  aid  to  Gen.  Put 
nam,  and  he  was  now  temporarily  with  Greene. 
Fortune  favored  him  still  farther  with  an  advance 
ment  to  Washington's  staff,  and  on  the  day  of  the 
Springfield  action  his  new  appointment  was  announced 
as  follows  : 

"HEAD  QUARTERS,  RACKAWAY, 

"  Friday,  June  23,  1780. 

"...  Cap*  David  Humphreys  of  the  Connecticut  Line  is 
appointed  Aid  de  Camp  to  the  Commander-in-Chief,  and  is  to  be 
respected  and  obeyed  accordingly.  .  .  ." 

This  promotion  led  to  that  well-known  intimacy 
which  afterwards  subsisted  between  Humphreys  and 
Washington.  In  his  poem  on  "  The  Happiness  of 
America,"  he  refers  to  the  changes  mentioned  in  his 
own  military  career  as  follows  : 

"  I  too,  perhaps,  should  heav'n  prolong  my  date, 

The  oft-repeated  tale  shall  oft  relate  ; 

Shall  tell  the  feelings  in  the  first  alarms, 

Of  some  bold  enterprize  th'  unequall'd  charms  ; 

1  From  Lt.-Col.  Grosvenor's  MSS.  Order-Book,  while  serving  as  Inspector 
of  the  Connecticut  Division. 


120         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

Shall  tell  from  whom  I  learnt  the  martial  art, 
With  what  high  chiefs  I  play'd  my  early  part, 
With  Parsons  first,  whose  eye,  with  piercing  ken, 
Reads  through  their  hearts  the  characters  of  men  ; 
Then  how  I  aided,  in  the  foll'wing  scene, 
Death-daring  Putnam — then  immortal  Greene — 
Then  how  great  Washington  my  youth  approv'd, 
In  rank  prefer'd,  and  as  a  parent  loved 
(For  each  fine  feeling  in  his  bosom  blends 
The  first  of  heroes,  sages,  patriots,  friends)  ; 
With  him  what  hours  on  warlike  plans  I  spent, 
Beneath  the  shadow  of  th'  Imperial  tent, 
With  him  how  oft  I  went  the  nightly  round, 
Thro'  moving  hosts,  or  slept  on  tented  ground  ; 
From  him  how  oft  (nor  far  below  the  first 
In  high  behests  and  confidential  trust) — 
From  him  how  oft  I  bore  the  dread  commands, 
Which  destined  for  the  fight  the  eager  bands  ; 
With  him  how  oft  I  past  th'  eventful  day, 
Rode  by  his  side,  as  down  the  long  array, 
His  awful  voice  the  columns  taught  to  form, 
To  point  the  thunders,  and  to  pour  the  storm." 

An  earnest,  patriotic  letter  from  Gov.  Livingston 
to  Baron  Steuben,  written  about  this  time,  will  be 
read  with  interest.  One  may  gather  from  its  tone 
how  New  Jersey  came  to  lean  upon  him  through  the 
war  : 

"  RARITAN,  2ist  June,  1780. 

u  DR.  BARON: — I  met  your  favor  of  yesterday  on  the  road  on  my 
Return  from  the  Assembly.  They  have  passed  a  more  rigorous 
Law  for  reducing  the  Militia  to  military  discipline  ;  and  the  Law 
for  filling  up  our  Brigade,  I  hope  will  also  speedily  have  its  Effect. 
But  it  must  be  confessed  that  we  are  always  too  late  and  generally 
begin  to  think  of  providing  our  Quota  when  we  ought  to  open  the 
Campaign.  I  am  sorry  to  hear  that  our  Militia  quit  their  Posts 
before  the  expiration  of  their  time.  It  is  indeed  enough  to  exhaust 
the  Patience  of  any  officer  who  has  the  direction  of  them.  But, 


Events  in  1780-81.  121 

my  dear  Sir,  there  is  a  kind  of  passive  as  well  as  active  fortitude 
that  we  must  exercise  on  these  occasions,  &  General  Washington 
who  has  exhibited  a  thousand  instances  of  that  kind  of  suffering 
Heroism,  ought  to  animate  us  all  by  his  illustrious  example. 
Think  not,  my  dear  Baron,  of  resigning  your  present  Command  ; 
tho'  in  one  sense  an  officer  is  in  danger  of  reaping  n'ot  but  dis 
grace  by  commanding  such  a  disorderly  band  ;  yet  when  it  is  duly 
considered  how  disorderly  they  are,  &  that  he  does  great  things 
even  with  such  material,  it  must  add  to  his  Glory. 

"  The  Militia  from  the  lower  Counties  of  this  State  are  on  their 
way  in  considerable  numbers.  Gov.  Reed  [of  Penn.]  informs 
me  that  his  militia  are  ready  to  march  to  our  assistance  at  a  mo 
ment's  warning. 

"  You  want  not,  Sir,  the  addition  of  my  Testimony  in  proof  of 
the  great  obligations  under  which  you  have  laid  this  Country  by 
your  signal  services.  But  great  as  your  merit  is  you  may  still 
give  it  an  additional  Lustre  by  rising  superior  to  all  the  Difficul 
ties  with  which  I  see  you  embarrassed. 

"  I  have  the  honor  to  be, 

"  Dr.  Sir,  &c., 
"  WILLIAM  LIVINGSTON. 

"  Major-Gen'l  Baron  Steuben,"1 

Another  from  Gen.  Paterson  is  a  call  for  arms,  as 
follows,  addressed  to  the  President  of  the  Massachu 
setts  State  Council : 

"  WEST  POINT,  July  27th,  1780. 

"  SIR  : — The  bad  economy,  which  has  inseperably  attended  the 
operations  of  America  (until  very  lately)  has  reduced  our  Arms 

1  Original  in  possession  of  S.  L.  M.  Barlow,  Esq.,  New  York. 

Gov.  Livingston's  pen  was  equal  to  any  occasion,  and  at  other  times  he  could 
be  as  humorous  to  Steuben  as  he  was  serious  at  this.  At  the  close  of  the  war,  for 
instance,  when  the  Baron  applied  for  the  confiscated  property  of  the  Bayards  at 
Hoboken,  Livingston  wrote  from  Trenton,  Nov.  7,  1783,  that  it  would  be  diffi 
cult  to  obtain  the  grant,  and  added  :  "If  you  never  was  on  the  spot  yourself  in 
the  months  of  July,  August,  or  September,  &  if  I  thought  myself  at  liberty 
to  obtrude  my  advice  upon  you,  I  would  say  that  considering  how  often  you  are 
exposed  to  lose  blood  in  the  way  of  your  profession  as  a  soldier,  I  would  dis 
suade  you  from  putting  it  in  the  power  of  the  musketoes  at  Hoebuck  to  augment 
the  effusion  ;  for  never  did  I  set  my  foot  in  a  place  where  that  troublesome  & 
venomous  little  volatile  during  those  months  swarmed  in  greater  abundance." 
— N.  Y.  Hist.  Soc.  MSS. 


122         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

to  so  small  a  number,  that  we  are  not  able  to  arm  our  New  Levies  ; 
from  what  cause  this  has  arisen  is  not  my  business  at  present  to 
attend  to,  tho'  I  think  it  obvious. 

"  The  operations  of  this  year  depend  entirely  upon  the  single 
circumstance  of  our  being  able  to  procure  a  sufficiency.  By  some 
fatal  misconduct,  or  neglect,  the  Arms  expected  from  Europe 
are  not  arrived,  and  indeed  cannot  be  expected  in  season  ;  it  is 
therefore  necessary  to  use  every  exertion  in  our  power  for  an 
immediate  supply. 

"  I  have  advised  Baron  Steuben,  Inspector  General,  to  apply  to 
the  New  England  States,  for  the  loan  of  a  certain  number,  that 
they  may  have  on  hand,  or  could  collect  from  the  several  Towns  ; 
tho'  this  may  be  attended  with  difficulty,  and  in  some  instances 
(to  appearances)  injure  individuals,  yet  when  put  in  competition 
with  an  inert  campaign,  it  certainly  bears  no  comparison. 

"The  Baron  has  requested  me  to  write  you  on  the  subject  ;  I 
have  not  the  least  doubt,  but  you  will  do  every  thing  in  your 
power  to  procure  an  immediate  supply  ;  the  success  of  this  year 
most  certainly  will  in  a  great  degree  depend  on  it,  and  probably 
the  events  of  the  war. 

"  I  am,  your  honor's 
"  Most  obedient  and  very 

"  Humble  Servant, 

"  JOHN  PATERSON. 

"  Honble  Jeremiah  Powell."  ' 

In  the  latter  part  of  September  President  Stiles 
visted  his  old  Newport  parish,  and  took  the  oppor 
tunity  to  call  upon  officers  of  the  French  army,  which 
had  lately  arrived  at  that  place.  He  speaks  of  them 
as  follows : 

"1780. 

"  Oct.  5.  Introduced  to  the  Commander  in  Chief  of  the  French 

allied  army,  the  Count  de  Rochambeau. 
1    7.  Dined  at  the  Generals — de  Rochambeau.     Gen1  Arnolds 

Flight  from  West  point,  25*  ult. 

:    8.  Lds  day.     I  preached  in  the  Sabb. -Meeting  to  my  Dear 
1  Mass.  State  Archives,  Revolutionary  Letters,  vol.  x. 


Events  in   1 780-81.  123 

Newp*    Flock.      My    Meet2   house   and   three   others 
taken  up  for  the  Hospitals. 

"  9.  Dined  at  Gen1  de  Chatelux  in  a  splendid  manner,  on  35 
Dishes.  He  is  a  capital  Literary  Character,  a  Member 
of  the  French  Academy.  He  is  the  Glory  of  the 
Army.  After  Dinner  the  Minister  of  France,  the 
Chevalier  de  la  Luzerne,  with  the  General,  came  in  & 
socially  conversed  round  the  Table.  We  had  news 
last  Evens  that  Major  Andre,  the  British  spy  connected 
with  Arnold,  was  Executed  at  Gen.  Washington's  camp 
last  Monday  noon. 

"  10.     Visiting. 

"  ii.  Dined  at  Mr.  Channings  with  Generals  Veiomenel  & 
Chattelux  &  a  number  of  French  officers. 

"  1 6.     Writg  Lett,  to  Dr.  Franklin  at  Paris     .     .     . 

"  17.     Anniversary  of  the  Victory  at  Saratoga,  1777     .     .     . 

"  19.  Took  Leave  of  the  General,  the  Count  de  Rochambeau, 
and  all  Friends  in  Newport,  &  left  it  &  sat  out  on 
Journey  for  N.  Haven." 

It  was  in  the  fall  of  this  year  that  that  good  soldier, 
Col.  John  Brown,  class  of  1771,  met  his  death  in  the 
field.  His  services  in  Canada  and  in  the  Burgoyne 
campaign  marked  him  as  one  of  the  ablest  partisan 
officers  on  our  side,  and  now  that  troops  were  needed 
to  protect  the  settlements  in  Central  New  York,  he 
again  volunteered  with  Berkshire  militia  to  meet  the 
enemy  in  that  quarter.  He  marched  to  Stone  Ara 
bia,  where  he  received  orders  fron  Gen.  Van  Renn- 
selaer  to  relieve  a  small  post.  On  the  way  he  was 
attacked  by  a  large  body  of  Indians  and  regulars, 
and  after  a  sharp  action,  killed  with  forty  of  his 
men.  His  death  was  much  regretted.  Humphreys, 
who  was  one  of  his  classmates,  feelingly  refers  to 
him  as  follows,  in  his  "  Address  to  the  Armies  of 
America." 


124         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

"Ah  hapless  friend  !  permit  the  tender  tear 
To  flow  e'en  now,  for  none  flow'd  on  thy  bier, 
Where,  cold  and  mangled,  under  northern  skies, 
To  famished  wolves  a  prey  thy  body  lies — 
Which  erst  so  fair  and  tall  in  youthful  grace, 
Strength  in  thy  nerves,  and  beauty  in  thy  face, 
Stood  like  a  tow'r,  till  struck  by  the  swift  ball — 
Then  what  avail'd  (to  ward  th'  untimely  fall) 
The  force  of  limbs,  the  mind  so  well  informed, 
The  taste  refin'd,  the  breast  with  friendship  warm'd 
(That  friendship  which  our  earliest  years  begun), 
Or  what  the  laurels  that  thy  sword  had  won, 
When  the  dark  bands  from  thee,  expiring,  tore 
Thy  long  hair,  mingled  with  the  spouting  gore  ? " 

It  is  at  this  period  of  the  war,  also,  that  Major 
Tallmadge's  services  come  more  prominently  into 
notice.  We  may  recall  him  as  one  of  Male's  class 
mates,  Chester's  adjutant  in  1776,  afterwards  captain, 
and  now  major  of  Sheldon's  Dragoons.  In  the  latter 
capacity  he  won  the  confidence  of  Washington  and 
was  entrusted  by  him  with  delicate  and  responsible 
duties.  It  was  through  Tallmadge's  agency  that 
important  lines  of  secret  communication  were  estab 
lished  with  persons  on  Long  Island  and  in  New  York, 
from  whom  much  needed  intelligence  of  the  enemy's 
movements  and  designs  was  received.  How  far 
Washington  depended  on  this  channel  of  information 
appears  from  a  number  of  his  published  letters  and 
from  Tallmadge's  "Memoirs."1  The  Major  also 
played  a  leading  part  in  the  capture  of  Andre  and 
was  with  him  much  of  the  time  until  his  execution. 

1  An  article,  entitled  "  The  Secret  Service  of  the  Revolution,"  published  in 
the  Magazine  of  American  History,  for  February,  1882,  contains  extracts  on 
this  point  from  the  private  correspondence  then  carried  on  between  Tallmadge 
and  the  Commander-in-Chief. 


Events  in  1780-81.  125 

One  of  his  letters  respecting  that  unfortunate  officer, 
recently  brought  to  light,  runs  as  follows : 

"HEAD  QRS.,  TAPPAN,  Sept.  soth,  1780. 
"  DEAR  SIR  : 

"...  You  have  doubtless  heard  before  this  of  the  rascally 
conduct  of  Arnold.  He  is  gone  to  the  Enemy,  where  I  think  his 
misery,  from  the  neglect  which  must  ensue,  will  be  complete. 
Poor  Andre,  who  has  been  under  my  charge  almost  ever  since  he 
was  taken,  has  yesterday  had  his  tryal,  and  tho'  his  Sentence  is 
not  known,  a  disgraceful  death  is  undoubtedly  allotted  to  him. 
By  Heavens  !  Col.  Webb,  I  never  saw  a  man  whose  fate  I  fore 
saw  whom  I  so  sincerely  pitied.  He  is  a  young  fellow  of  the 
greatest  accomplishments,  and  was  the  prime  minister  of  Sr 
Harry  on  all  occasions.  He  has  unbosomed  his  heart  to  me  so 
fully,  &  indeed  let  me  know  almost  every  motive  of  his  actions 
since  he  came  out  on  his  late  mission,  that  he  has  endeared  me  to 
him  exceedingly.  Unfortunate  Man  !  He  will  undoubtedly  suf 
fer  Death  tomorrow,  &  tho'  he  knows  his  fate,  seems  to  be  as 
cheerful  as  if  he  was  going  to  an  Assembly.  I  am  sure  he  will  go 
to  the  Gallows  less  fearful  for  his  fate  and  with  less  concern  than 
I  shall  behold  the  tragedy.  Had  he  been  tried  by  a  Court  of 
Ladies,  he  is  so  genteel,  handsome,  polite  a  young  Gentleman,  that 
I  am  confident  they  would  have  acquitted  him. 

"  But  enough  of  poor  Andre,  who,  tho'  he  dies  lamented,  falls 
justly.  I  am  happy  to  find  he  has  wrote  to  Sr  Harry  Clinton,  in 
which  letter  he  speaks  highly  of  our  treatment  towards  him,  & 
takes  off  the  idea  of  his  being  under  Sanction  of  a  flagg  when  he 
was  taken,  which  had  been  told  by  Arnold  to  Sr  Harry,  that  our 
Conduct  in  punishing  him  might  be  Censurable.  I  think  his 
letter  to  Gen.  Clinton  will  effectually  ruin  Arnold  with  the  Enemy. 

"  Jos.  Smith,  an  accomplice  with  Arnold,  I  also  bro't  on  with 
me.     He  is  now  under  tryal.     .     .     . 
"  In  haste,  believe  me 

"  Your  friend  &  most  obed't  Servant, 

"  BENJ'.  TALLMADGE. 

"  Col.  Samuel  Webb,  at  Mr.  Bancker's,  on  the  Raritan,  State  of 
N.  Jersey."1 

1  From  the  Webb  "  Reminiscences." 


Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

Tallmadge,  furthermore,  distinguished  himself  in 
some  gallant  exploits,  one  of  which  occurred  on 
November  2ist  of  this  year.  He  conducted  an  ex 
pedition  in  boats  across  the  Sound,  marched  to  Fort 
George,  at  Oyster  Bay,  surprised  and  captured  the 
garrison  of  Tory  refugees,  burned  vessels,  stores,  and 
hay,  and  returned  to  Fairfield,  without  the  loss  of  a 
man.  Washington  complimented  him  highly  and 
transmitted  his  report  of  the  affair  to  Congress,  which 
showed  its  appreciation  by  passing  the  following 
resolution  : 

"  IN  CONGRESS,  December  6th,  1780. 

"  WHILE  Congress  are  sensible  of  the  patriotism,  courage  and 
perseverance  of  the  officers  and  privates  of  their  regular  forces, 
as  well  as  of  the  militia  throughout  the  United  States,  and  of  the 
military  conduct  of  the  principal  commanders  in  both,  it  gives 
them  pleasure  to  be  so  frequently  called  upon  to  confer  marks  of 
distinction  and  applause  for  enterprises  which  do  honour  to  the 
profession  of  arms,  and  claim  a  high  rank  among  military  achieve 
ments.  In  this  light  they  view  the  enterprise  against  Fort  St. 
George,  on  Long  Island,  planned  and  conducted  with  wisdom 
and  great  gallantry  by  Major  Tallmadge,  of  the  light  dragoons, 
and  executed  with  intrepidity  and  complete  success  by  the  offi 
cers  and  soldiers  of  his  detachment  : 

"Ordered,  therefore,  That  Major  Tallmadge's  report  to  the 
Commander-in-Chief  be  published,  with  the  preceding  minute, 
as  a  tribute  to  distinguished  merit  and  in  testimony  of  the  sense 
Congress  entertain  of  this  brilliant  service. 

"  Extracts  from  the  minutes, 

"  CHARLES  THOMSON,  Se'cy." 

In  Tallmadge's  party  was  a  young  graduate  of  '76, 
Heathcote  Muirson,  who  joined  him  as  a  volunteer, 
and  behaved  so  well  that  he  was  offered  a  commission 
in  the  Dragoons  on  the  next  vacancy.  Washington's 
high  opinion  of  Tallmadge  was  expressed  again  long 


Events  in  1780-81.  127 

after  the  war,  when  he  recommended  him  for  the 
command  of  the  cavalry  corps  which  it  was  proposed 
to  attach  to  our  Provisional  Army  of  1798. 

One  of  the  last  incidents  of  the  year  was  an  at 
tempt  made  by  Col.  Humphreys  to  capture  Sir 
Henry  Clinton,  or  the  German  General,  Knyphausen, 
at  New  York.  With  Capt.  Roger  Welles,  of  the 
class  of  1775,  wno  had  served  during  the  summer  in 
Lafayette's  light  infantry  corps,  two  other  officers 
and  about  forty  men,  he  went  down  the  Hudson, 
Dec.  25th,  in  the  hope  of  surprising  one  of  the  gen 
erals  at  his  quarters  in  the  city.  The  wind,  however, 
as  Heath  tells  us,  rose  freshly  from  the  northwest  dur 
ing  the  night,  and  the  three  boats  of  the  expedition 
were  driven  past  the  Battery.  A  landing  being  im 
possible,  they  slipped  by  the  enemy's  shipping  in  the 
harbor,  went  through  the  Narrows,  and  finally  made 
their  way  unobserved  to  Brunswick,  whence  the  party 
returned  by  land  to  the  army  on  Jan.  ist.  The  un 
dertaking  was  a  daring  one,  but  Humphreys  had  had 
some  experience  in  such  warfare,  as  he  accompanied 
Col.  Meigs  on  his  famous  Sag  Harbor  expedition  in 
1777,  and  in  1778  himself  took  a  party  across  the 
Sound  and  burned  some  supply  vessels. 

West  Point  and  vicinity  became  winter-quarters  for 
a  portion  of  the  army  this  year  as  last.  The  Con 
necticut  Division  built  huts  on  the  east  side  of  the 
river  not  far  from  the  Robinson  House,  Lieut.-Col. 
Gray,  class  of  1 763,  being  appointed  superintendent 
of  the  encampment.  Writing  to  his  brother,  Dec. 
22,  1780  (the  letter  in  Miss  Learned's  Windham 
Co.,  Conn.),  he  says  : 


128         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

"  Our  huts  are  built  where  there  is  plenty  of  wood  and  water. 
We  have  had  our  starvation  season — I  hope  the  whole  of  it.  It 
seems  as  if  'twas  decreed  in  the  Book  of  Fates  that  wherever  we 
hut  we  should  have  short  allowance  ;  and  when  Congress  order 
us  to  keep  a  day  of  thanksgiving  and  rejoicing  in  the  success  and 
plenty  wherewith  Providence  hath  blessed  us,  that  the  army  have 
nothing  to  make  the  heart  glad,  and  a  dismal  and  dark  prospect 
before  us.  This  has  been  the  case  for  three  years  past  ;  but  I 
hope  and  pray  and  believe  that  the  scene  is  changed  and  better 
days  and  times  are  coming." 


EVENTS  IN   1781-82. 

Situation  at  the  North — Col.  Hull's  Affair  at  the  Outposts — Lafayette's  Vir 
ginia  Expedition — Major  Wyllys — Letters  from  Capt.  Welles  and  Others 
— The  Yorktown  Campaign — Graduate  Officers  at  the  Siege — Humphreys 
and  the  Captured  Flags — Rejoicings — President  Stiles  to  Washington. 

THIS  the  closing  year  of  active  operations,  which 
terminated  so  brilliantly  at  Yorktown,  opened  much 
as  other  years  had  opened — blindly,  without  any  sig 
nificant  indications  except  in  the  far  South.  There 
Greene  and  Cornwallis  were  facing  each  other  ;  but 
what  turn  the  situation  in  the  North  would  take  was 
for  the  first  five  months  altogether  conjectural.  To 
Washington  the  outlook  was  discouraging.  The 
army  was  greatly  reduced  in  numbers,  supplies  lim 
ited,  the  public  credit  low.  It  seemed  certain  that  as 
the  enemy  were  still  sending  reinforcements  to  the 
South  they  would  undertake  no  offensive  operations 
in  the  North,  in  which  case  Washington  would  be 
compelled  either  to  remain  idle,  or,  in  conjunction 
with  the  French  allies  then  in  Rhode  Island,  threaten 
New  York  ;  but  there,  without  a  cooperating  fleet, 
success  could  hardly  be  looked  for.  It  was  not  until 
late  in  May  that  a  campaign  was  proposed. 

Meantime  two  enterprises  varied  the  monotony,  in 
each  of  which  graduates  took  part.  One  was  an  ex 
ploit,  successfully  conducted  by  that  admirable  officer, 
Lieut-Colonel  William  Hull,  than  whom  few  if  any 


130         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

of  his  rank  could  show  a  finer  record.  He  had  par 
ticipated  in  the  siege  of  Boston  and  the  operations 
around  New  York  in  1775  and  1776,  and  had  en 
gaged,  generally  in  close  action,  at  the  battles  of 
White  Plains,  Trenton,  Princeton,  the  Ticonderoga 
retreat,  Saratoga,  Monmouth,  and  Stony  Point. 
Washington's  personal  esteem  for  him  was  well 
known  ;  it  was  the  same  esteem  that  he  accorded, 
upon  the  same  ground  of  capacity  and  meritorious 
service,  to  Hull's  college  mates,  Sherman,  Humph 
reys,  and  Tallmadge. 

In  the  winter  of  1780-81  Hull  commanded  the  out 
posts  of  the  army  on  Croton  River.  Below,  towards 
King's  Bridge,  lay  the  middle  ground  subject  to  raids 
by  Americans  and  British  alike,  and  where  they  fre 
quently  met  and  skirmished.  On  Dec.  31,  1780,  the 
latter  indulged  in  one  of  their  excursions,  which  Gen. 
Heath,  then  commanding  in  the  Highlands,  mentions 
in  his  diary  as  follows  : 

4<  This  day  the  enemy  were  out  again.  Col.  Hull  immediately 
marched  down  with  his  whole  force  to  meet  them  ;  by  his  vigi 
lance  they  were  prevented  from  doing  any  mischief,  and  on  his 
advance  retired  towards  the  saw-pits." 

Hull  now  proposed  to  return  the  compliment.  He 
requested  permission  to  beat  up  the  quarters  of 
DeLancy's  Refugee  corps  at  Morrisania,  opposite 
Harlem,  and  destroy  bridges,  barracks,  and  forage. 
Heath  submitted  the  plan  to  Washington,  who  ap 
proved  of  it.  On  the  22d  of  January  Hull  marched, 
with  about  five  hundred  men,  towards  King's  Bridge, 
passed  Fort  Independence  unnoticed,  left  a  detach 
ment  to  destroy  a  pontoon  bridge  across  the  Harlem 


Events  in  1781-82.  131 

opposite  Fort  Washington,  and  pushing  on  to  Mor- 
risania  succeeded  in  effecting  a  partial  surprise  of  the 
post  early  on  the  morning  of  the  23d.  He  took 
prisoners,  burned  the  enemy's  quarters  and  consider 
able  forage,  and  then  returned  by  way  of  East 
Chester,  where  Gen.  Parsons,  with  three  regiments 
under  Colonels  Hazen,  Scammell,  and  Sherman,  had 
taken  post  to  cover  his  retreat.  Hull  had,  in  effect, 
penetrated  eight  miles  into  the  enemy's  lines,  and 
marched  between  forty  and  fifty  miles,  almost  with 
out  a  rest.  During  the  last  two  miles  he  was  com 
pelled  to  skirmish  with  the  enemy,  who  took  the 
alarm  and  followed  him  up.  With  small  loss  he  re 
turned  to  the  Croton  lines — the  affair  being  regarded 
as  a  bold,  well-executed,  successful  dash.  Parsons' 
and  Hull's  reports  of  the  enterprise  were  published 
by  order  of  Congress  "  in  testimony  of  its  approba 
tion  of  the  spirit  and  military  conduct  displayed  by 
the  officers  and  men "  on  the  occasion.  Gen.  Par 
sons  says  in  his  report  : 

"  In  justice  to  Lieut-Col.  Hull  and  his  officers,  I  ought  to  say 
that  much  of  the  success  of  this  enterprise  is  owing  to  the  judi 
cious  arrangements  made  by  him,  and  the  fortitude  and  address 
with  which  they  were  executed  by  them  ;  and  in  the  state  of  ex 
cessive  fatigue  of  his  men,  the  retiring  through  West  Chester  in 
good  order,  and  bringing  off  his  prisoners,  near  two  miles,  under 
the  enemy's  fire,  until  he  was  supported  by  Col.  Hazen,  does  him 
great  honor  .  .  .  And  I  feel  myself  under  great  obligations 
to  Colonels  Hazen,  Scammell,  and  Sherman,  for  the  great  assist 
ance  I  received  from  them  in  making  the  necessary  arrangements^ 
and  the  cheerfulness  with  which  they  and  the  troops  under  their 
command  executed  the  several  parts  of  duty  assigned  to  them." 

Parsons  also  states  that  he  advanced   Col.   Sher- 


1  12 


Yale  in  the  Revolution. 


man  on  the  road  from  William's  Bridge  to  East  Ches 
ter,  to  prevent  the  enemy  from  intercepting  Hull  by 
that  route.  "  On  his  taking  post  on  a  hill  east  of  the 
village,  the  British  halted  and  did  not  advance  again." 

Washington  and  Heath  both  congratulated  Hull 
and  his  command  on  their  exploit. 

The  second  enterprise  was  Lafayette's  expedition 
into  Virginia,  which  was  destined  to  play  an  impor 
tant  part  in  the  capture  of  Cornwallis.  It  was  or 
ganized  originally  to  attempt  the  capture  of  Arnold, 
who,  with  a  British  detachment,  had  taken  post  at 
Portsmouth,  Va.;  but  the  plan  miscarried  through 
failure  of  naval  cooperation.  Lafayette  was  then 
dispatched  into  Central  Virginia  to  face  Cornwallis, 
who  was  moving  up  from  North  Carolina  in  that  di 
rection,  and  there,  in  May,  June,  and  July,  the  former 
conducted  his  skilful  defensive  campaign,  in  which 
he  was  almost  constantly  on  the  march,  successfully 
avoiding  the  superior  force  of  the  enemy,  and  at  the 
same  time  preventing  him  from  "  occupying"  the 
State.  Cornwallis  closed  his  movements  in  August 
by  settling  down  at  Yorktown,  with  Lafayette  watch 
ing  him  from  different  points  on  the  peninsula  above. 

Five  graduates  were  with  Lafayette  in  this  impor 
tant  preliminary  campaign  in  Virginia.  The  expedi 
tion,  as  first  organized,  included  three  battalions  of 
select  troops — light  infantry — mainly  from  New 
England.  One  of  these  battalions,  commanded  by 
Lieut.-Col.  Gimat,  a  French  officer,  had  for  its  major 
John  Palsgrave  Wyllys,  while  three  of  its  eight  cap 
tains  were  Jonathan  Heart,  Samuel  A.  S.  Barker, 
and  Roger  Welles ;  and  among  the  ensigns  was 


Events  in  1 781-82.  133 

Ebenezer  Daggett,  youngest  son  of  ex-President 
Daggett,  of  the  college.  It  so  happened  that  this 
particular  regiment  not  only  distinguished  itself 
under  Lafayette's  command  during  the  summer,  but 
was  to  be  given  the  opportunity  of  distinguishing  it 
self  above  all  other  regiments  at  the  crowning  event 
of  the  campaign — the  siege  of  Yorktown.  In  the 
sharp  skirmish  of  Green  Spring,  near  Jamestown,  on 
July  6th,  Wyllys  was  in  command  ;  and  as  for  Capt. 
Welles,  we  find  him  not  only  a  gallant  soldier,  but  a 
frequent  letter-writer  also,  which  for  us  in  these  days 
of  inquisitive  search  for  new  material  was  a  fortunate 
circumstance.  Several  interesting  Revolutionary  let 
ters  from  his  pen  are  preserved,  some  of  which  are 
here  introduced  in  their  proper  connection.  The 
following,  written  to  his  father  from  the  heart  of  Vir 
ginia,  while  Lafayette  was  giving  Cornwallis  the 
chase  through  the  State,  is  one  of  a  very  few  refer 
ring  to  those  movements  known  to  exist : 

"  LIGHT  INFANTRY  CAMP  (Louisa  County),  June  16,  1781. 

"  HON'D  SIR  : 

"By  Capt.  Hart,  who  arrived  the  nth  Instant,  I  received  your 
favor  of  the  28th  of  April  last,  together  with  what  was  intrusted 
to  his  care.  I  am  much  obliged  to  you,  Sir,  for  being  at  the 
trouble  of  collecting  the  money  and  cloth  sent  on  ;  it  could 
never  have  arrived  at  a  happier  period.  It  found  me  very  desti 
tute  of  summer  clothes,  and  almost  every  other  necessary  req 
uisite  to  render  life  tolerabile  in  this  uninhabited  world.  We 
frequently  march  whole  days  without  seeing  any  thing  like  a 
house,  except  a  log  hut  or  two.  The  people  of  this  country  are 
the  most  ignorant,  miserable  wretches  on  earth.  Tenants,  who 
are  perfect  slaves  to  their  landlords,  and  scarcely  know  they  have 
an  existence.  The  Marquiss,  till  lately  having  a  force  far  infe 
rior  to  the  enemy,  was  obliged  to  retreat  a  considerable  distance 


i34         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

into  the  country.  After  Earl  Cornwallis  had  formed  a  junction 
with  Arnold  (I  say  Arnold,  because  Gen.  Phillips  died  a  day  or 
two  before  Cornwallis  arrived),  he  found  himself  at  the  head  of 
about  5000  men.  Our  army,  being  re-inforced  by  the  Pennsyl 
vania  line,  is  now  about  equal  in  number  to  that  of  the  enemy  ; 
but  the  greater  half  are  militia.  Expect  hourly  to  be  joined  by 
Baron  Steuben,  with  a  thousand  men.  This  gives  us  so  much 
the  superiority  that  the  enemy  are  now  retiring,  and  its  the 
opinion  of  some  that  they  will  make  the  best  of  their  way  back  to 
Portsmouth.  The  enemy  have  much  the  advantage  of  us  in  Light 
Horse,  as  we  have  few  here  but  Militia  horse.  Tarlton,  with  a 
party  of  L.  Dragoons,  a  few  days  since  penetrated  into  the 
country  as  far  as  Albermarle,  the  seat  of  government  (about  70  or 
80  miles  distant  from  Richmond),  and  made  prisoners  two  or 
three  of  the  House  of  Burgesses,  did  very  little  other  mischief, 
and  returned  with  great  speed.  Were  the  Militia  of  this  country 
under  as  good  regulations  as  those  of  N.  England,  four  or  five 
hundred  horse  would  not  be  able  to  ravage  the  country  40  miles 
distant  from  their  main  body,  and  even  without  a  gun's  being 
fired  at  them.  All  the  arms  belonging  to  this  State  are  deposited 
in  public  stores,  from  which  the  militia  are  furnished  when  they  are 
called  into  the  field  ;  but  are  never  able  to  act  on  any  emergency. 
I  should  have  wrote  by  Capt.  Hart  were  I  apprehensive  he  would 
have  gone  to  Conn1,  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  a  letter  and 
some  other  articles  by  Capt.  Francis  last  winter.  My  situation 
has  been  such  for  several  months,  I  have  scarcely  had  an  oppor 
tunity  of  sending,  and  now  its  not  direct.  There's  an  officer 
going  to  the  Grand  Army  by  whom  I  shall  write  to  Capt.  Williams, 
and  enclose  this  to  be  forwarded.  ...  As  the  gentleman  is 
now  waiting  I  must  desist,  and  am,  with  the  greatest  affection, 
your  son,  R.  WELLES. 

"  My  respects  to  all  my  friends."  ' 

It  was  during  the  progress  of  this  campaign  in 
Virginia  that  Washington  planned  his  own  grand 
combination  against  Cornwallis.  Assured  that  De 

'From  the  original  in  possession  of   Mr.  Roger  Welles,  great-grandson  of 
Capt.  Welles,  Newington,  Conn. 


Events  in  1781-82.  135 

Grasse  with  a  powerful  French  fleet  would  appear  in 
the  Chesapeake  in  the  latter  part  of  August,  and  as 
sured  by  Lafayette  that  the  British  general  had  es 
tablished  himself  at  Yorktown  with  the  evident  inten 
tion  of  remaining  there  for  a  time,  he  immediately 
abandoned  his  pretended  operations  against  New 
York,  and  leaving  Clinton  in  the  lurch,  put  nearly 
half  his  Continentals  and  all  the  French  troops  on  the 
march  for  Virginia.  The  movement  was  executed 
with  great  skill  and  precision,  and  on  the  26th  of 
September  the  entire  force  was  concentrated  with 
Lafayette's  little  army  at  Williamsburg  eleven  miles 
above  Yorktown.  The  trap  was  successfully  set. 
Blockaded  on  the  bay  by  the  French  fleet,  and  his  re 
treat  landward  cut  off  by  Washington  and  Rocham- 
beau,  Cornwallis  could  not  escape. 

Captain  Welles  has  another  interesting  letter  for 
us  here,  showing  that  the  troops  appreciated  the  suc 
cess  of  Washington's  splendid  move,  and  were  eager 
to  add  the  finishing  stroke.  To  his  father  again  : 

"  CAMP  WILLIAMSBURG,  Sept.  15,  1781. 

"  I  hope  I  shall  not  be  obliged  to  write  at  this  distance  many 
weeks  longer.  We  have  now  the  fairest  prospect  of  capturing 
Lord  Cornwallis  with  his  Army.  Doubtless  ere  this  you  have 
received  an  account  of  the  arrival  of  the  French  in  the  Bay  of 
Chesapeak  with  twenty-eight  sail  of  the  Line,  and  betwixt  three 
and  four  thousand  land  forces.  The  troops  are  landed  and  now 
performing  duty  with  us.  They  are  as  fine  a  body  of  men  as  I  ever 
saw.  The  greatest  harmony  as  yet  subsists  between  the  Allied 
Army. 

"  Last  evening  was  announced  the  arrival  of  his  Excellency 
General  Washington  from  the  Northward,  by  the  discharge  of 
cannon  &c.,  on  which  the  troops  were  immediately  paraded  and 
reviewed  by  his  Excellency,  which  seemed  to  give  new  life  and 


136         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

spirits  to  every  soldier  in  the  Army.  It  is  said  he  is  to  be  fol 
lowed  by  6  or  8  thousand  troops  from  the  Northward  some  of 
which  are  expected  immediately.  The  army  after  forming  a 
junction  will  consist  of  near  20,000,  including  militia.  The 
enemy,  who  are  about  5  or  6000  in  number,  are  strongly  fortify 
ing  themselves  in  Yorktown,  about  twelve  miles  from  this  place. 
We  expect  orders  hourly  to  move  down  and  closely  besiege  them. 
With  common  success  a  force  so  much  superior  to  theirs  must 
soon  reduce  them.  We  all  wish  most  heartily  it  may  be  the  case, 
if  for  no  other  reason  than  that  we  may  turn  to  the  Northward 
again.  We  are  tired  of  this  climate,  though  the  troops  in  general 
have  been  tolerably  healthy.  For  my  own  part,  by  the  hot  season 
and  fatigue  I  was  a  little  reduced,  but  by  leaving  the  Reg*  and 
quartering  in  a  good  house  I  recruited  again  very  soon. 

"  I  think  it  probable  you  have  heard  the  particulars  of  the  James 
town  affair  before  this  time.  Our  Reg1  had  a  small  share  in  the 
skirmish,  but  suffered  very  little  loss.  Not  an  officer  wounded. 
I  think  we  have  been  exceedingly  fortunate.  The  Marquiss  has 
conducted  more  like  a  Fabius  through  the  campaign  than  an  as 
piring  boy,  as  Lord  Cornwallis  was  pleased  to  call  him. 

"  This  from  your  affectionate  and  dutiful  Son, 

"  ROGER  WELLES. 

"  My  duty  to  my  dear  Mother  and  love  to  all  friends.  I  wish 
most  sincerely  to  see  you  all." 

It  only  remained  for  the  allied  army  to  move 
down  upon  Yorktown  and  invest  the  place,  which 
was  done  on  the  28th  of  September.  Then  came 
the  rigorous  siege  of  nineteen  days,  and  Cornwallis 
surrendered. 

About  twelve  graduates  participated  in  this  final 
and  greatest  operation  of  the  war.  Five  have  been 
mentioned  as  being  with  Lafayette.  With  Washing 
ton  came  his  aid,  David  Humphreys.  Captain  David 
Bushnell  was  present  with  the  corps  of  Sappers  and 
Miners.  Among  the  Continentals  which  Washing 
ton  brought  down  was  a  regiment  of  Light  Infantry 


Events  in  1781-82.  137 

under  Col.  Alexander  Scammell,  whose  lieut-col- 
onel  was  Ebenezer  Huntington,  one  of  the  captains, 
James  Morris,  a  lieutenant,  Nathan  Haynes  Whit 
ing,  and  the  surgeon's  mate,  /Eneas  Munson,  from 
Yale.  This  regiment  was  placed  with  the  other  se 
lect  troops  under  Lafayette,  whose  position  was  on 
the  right  of  the  besieging  line.  His  force  consisted 
of  six  Light  Infantry  battalions,  and  it  is  interest 
ing  to  note  that  of  their  twelve  field  officers,  all  of 
whom  were  veterans  of  the  war,  eight  were  gradu 
ates  of  colleges,  namely,  Col.  Scammell  and  Maj. 
Rice,  of  Harvard  ;  Lieut-Col.  Huntington  and  Maj. 
Wyllys,  of  Yale  ;  Lieut-Col.  Barber  and  Maj. 
Cumming,  of  Princeton  ;  Lieut-Col.  Hamilton,  of 
Columbia  ;  and  Lieut-Col.  Laurens,  educated  in 
England. 

The  turning-point  of  the  siege  was  the  capture,  on 
the  night  of  Oct.  i4th,  of  two  British  redoubts  which 
commanded  their  lines.  One  was  assaulted  by  the 
French  and  the  other  by  the  American  Light  In 
fantry,  with  Gimat's  regiment,  of  which  Wyllys  was 
major,  in  advance.  With  the  exception  of  Humph 
reys,  our  graduates  there  belonged  to  the  assaulting 
column  or  the  reserve  corps,  and  probably  all  were 
present  After  the  surrender,  Humphreys  was  com 
missioned  by  Washington  to  convey  the  captured  flags 
to  Philadelphia  and  present  them  to  Congress,  a 
scene  which  afterwards  became  the  subject  of  an  his 
torical  painting.  Congress  on  the  occasion  voted  him 
an  elegant  sword. 

Referring  to  the  surrender,  Capt.  Welles  writes  to 
his  father  Oct.  23,  1781  : 


138         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

"  The  hurry  and  confusion  we  have  been  in  since  the  Capitula 
tion  has  prevented  my  writing  you  any  thing  particular  respecting 
the  siege.  I  have  not  yet  been  able  to  obtain  the  Articles  of 
Capitulation,  tho'  I  make  no  doubt  you  may  receive  them  before 
this  will  reach  you.  I  am  told  they  are  nearly  the  same  as  Clin 
ton  gave  Gen'l  Lincoln  at  Charlestown.  Cornwallis  has  sur 
rendered  a  very  fine  army.  They  are  said  to  amount  to  upwards 
of  seven  thousand.  The  most  pleasing  sight  I  ever  beheld,  to  see 
those  haughty  fellows  march  out  of  their  strong  fortifications  and 
ground  their  arms.  There  is  found  in  their  magazines  a  great 
plenty  of  provisions,  a  considerable  quantity  of  ammunition,  and 
a  great  number  of  cannon,  both  brass  and  iron.  This  is  by  far 
the  heaviest  loss  the  enemy  have  sustained  since  the  war.  We 
expect  soon  to  be  on  our  way  to  the  Northward." 

Capt.  Morris,  the  young  officer  who  was  taken  pris 
oner  at  Germantown,  had  been  exchanged  and  was 
now  at  Yorktown.  He  has  this  brief  description  of 
the  surrender  : 

"  The  1 8th  day  was  a  day  of  respite.  Our  soldiers  were  di 
rected  to  wash  up  and  appear  clean  on  the  next  day.  The  British 
were  snug  in  their  tents  during  this  time.  On  the  ipth  day  our 
whole  army  and  the  french  army  assembled,  our  army  on  the 
right  and  the  French  army  on  the  left,  about  6  rods  apart,  and 
each  line  reached  more  than  a  mile  on  an  extended  plain.  We 
were  thus  drawn  up  to  receive  the  vanquished.  The  British  army 
marched  out  between  our  two  armies,  drums  beating  their  own 
tunes,  colours  muffled  ;  and  after  they  passed  in  a  review  of  our 
army  they  piled  their  arms  on  the  field  of  submission  and  returned 
back  in  the  same  manner  into  Yorktown." 

With  the  surrender  came  rejoicings  throughout  the 
country.  At  New  Haven,  says  the  Connecticut 
Journal,  "  a  numerous  assembly  convened  at  the 
Brick  Meeting  House,  where  the  audience  were  highly 
entertained  with  an  animating,  pathetic,  and  ingenious 
oration,  delivered  by  one  of  the  Tutors  [Mr.  Meigs], 


Events  in  1781-82.  139 

and  a  Triumphant  hymn  sung  by  the  students."  '  The 
college  and  residences  were  "  beautifully  illuminated" 
in  the  evening. 

In  Heath's  camp  on  the  Hudson  the  enthusiasm 
was  unbounded.  Capt.  S.  W.  Williams,  class  of  1772, 
wrote  to  Col.  S.  B.  Webb,  Nov.  2d  : 

"  The  surrender  of  his  Lordship  was  celebrated  here  on  Wed 
nesday  last — an  entertainment  was  provided  in  open  field  for  all 
the  officers  of  the  army  when  we  made  use  of  120  gallons  of  Ma 
deira  with  a  Quantum  Sufficit  of  Spirits  &c.  A  more  sociable 
time  I  never  experienced — every  one  was  happy,  many  perfectly 
so — indeed  the  whole  week  has  been  but  one  continued  Hurra 
from  Right  to  Left."  2 

The  college  conferred  the  degree  of  LL.D.  on 
Washington,  and  subsequently  in  transmitting  the 
diploma  President  Stiles  wrote  him  as  follows  : 

"VALE  COLLEGE,  Dec.  8,  1781. 
"  SIR  : 

"  You  will  receive  by  Col.  Humphrey  the  Diploma  &  the  Doc 
torate  in  Laws  conferred  upon  you  by  the  Senatus  Academicus  of 
this  University. 

"  That  this  Literary  Honor,  this  Tribute  of  academic  Respect 
proved  agreeable,  we  are  happy  to  find  by  the  Letter  of  acknowl 
edgement  you  did  me  the  honor  to  write  me  on  the  occasion. 

"  We  rejoice  that  the  Sovereign  of  the  Universe  hath  hitherto 
supported  you,  as  the  deliverer  of  your  Country,  the  Defender  of 
the  Liberty  &  Rights  of  Humanity,  and  the  Maecenas  of  Science 
and  Literature.  We  share  the  public  Joy,  and  Congratulate  our 
Country  on  the  Glory  of  your  arms,  and  that  eminence  to  which 

1  Tutor  Meigs'  oration  was  printed  and  a  copy  sent  to  Washington  by  Presi 
dent  Stiles.  In  acknowledging  its  receipt,  he  wrote  from  Newburg,  April  I, 
1782  :  "I  entreat  you  will  make  that  Gentleman  sensible  of  the  high  gratifica 
tion  I  have  received  from  his  ingenious  performance,  and  that  you  will  be  con 
vinced  of  the  ardent  passion  I  have  for  the  promotion  of  the  Cause  of  Litera 
ture  in  general  and  especially  of  the  pleasure  I  feel  in  the  increasing  reputation 
and  ability  of  the  Seat  of  Learning  under  your  immediate  direction." — Stiles' 
Letter  Books. 

•  From  the  Webb  "  Reminiscences." 


Yale  in  the  Revolution. 


you  have  ascended  in  the  recent  Victory  over  the  Earl  of  Corn- 
wallis  &  his  army  in  Virginia,  under  such  evident  and  astonish 
ing  marks  of  the  divine  Interposition.  With  every  sentiment  of 
Respect  &  Honour, 

"  I  am,  Sir, 

"  Your  Excellency's  most 
"  obed*.  serv*., 

"  EZRA  STILES. 
"His  Excellency  G.  WASHINGTON." 


The  Yorktown  army,  returning  north,  reached  the 
Hudson  camps  about  Dec.  ist,  "  all  pleased,"  says 
Wyllys,  "  with  what  was  once  thought  so  execrable— 
a  sight  of  the  Highlands."  Doubtless,  after  the 
eight  months'  exacting  service  in  Virginia  with  La 
fayette,  the  Major  appreciated  the  prospect  of  a  win 
ter's  respite.  But  then  he  had  returned  with  new 
"laurels." 


EVENTS    IN    1782-83. 

Peace  Negotiations — Military  Affairs — Letters  from  Welles,  Wyllys,  and  Silli- 
man — Tallmadge's  Third  Attempt  on  Long  Island — The  Major's  Report 
and  Washington's  Reply — Letters  from  Sill  and  Humphreys — Evacuation 
of  New  York  by  the  Enemy — Disbandment  of  the  Revolutionary  Army — 
Letter  from  Hull. 

AFTER  Yorktown  the  army  and  the  country  looked 
for  peace.  Negotiations  were  opened  and  continued 
through  1782,  but  military  vigilance  was  in  no  way 
relaxed  on  that  account.  While  no  large  operations 
were  attempted  on  either  side,  Washington  kept  his 
troops  at  hand  and  in  a  high  state  of  discipline  ready 
to  act  in  case  hostilities  were  renewed.  The  winter 
had  been  passed  in  camps  in  New  Jersey  and  the 
Highlands,  and  in  the  spring  the  army  concentrated 
on  the  Hudson  once  more.  The  Connecticut  Line 
had  again  hutted  in  its  "  Village "  nearly  opposite 
West  Point,  and  by  April  had  resumed  drilling  and 
parades.  From  that  and  other  quarters  we  have  a 
few  letters  during  the  year ;  for  instance,  something 
more  from  Capt.  Roger  Welles  to  his  father  : 

"  CONNCT  HUTTS,  April  13th  82. 

"...  Yesterday  the  Connct  Troops  were  reviewed  by  the 
Commander-in-Chief  when  he  was  so  particular  as  to  cause  every 
roll  to  be  called  by  his  Aid  in  his  hearing,  which  circumstance 
was  very  pleasing  to  the  soldiery,  and  served  to  excite  a  spirit  of 
emulation  among  them.  After  which  he  made  some  observations 
which  were  very  flattering  to  the  officers  of  the  line. 

141 


142         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

"  The  army  have  not  rec'd  any  pay  as  yet,  nor  is  there  a  prospect 
at  present.  There  are  some  notes  (signed  by  the  P.  M.  Gen'l, 
payable  in  August)  come  on  for  the  officers  to  enable  them  to 
clothe  themselves,  which  some  have  rec'd  from  mere  necessity  and 
put  them  off  at  a  considerable  discount ;  the  merchants  will  take 
them." 

Again  a  month  later,  May  i8th  : 

"  For  these  ten  days  or  more  we  have  been  flattering  ourselves 
that  peace  was  near  at  hand,  but  now  begin  to  apprehend  it  so  far 
distant  that  nothing  short  of  a  successful  campaign  will  procure 
it  for  us.  Sir  Guy  Carlton  is  arrived  at  N.  York  and  succeeds 
Gen'l  Clinton,  who  has  sailed  for  England.  By  a  flag  from  N.  Y. 
Gen'l  Washington  has  received  a  large  packet  in  which  were  dis 
patches  for  Congress.  Nothing  that  looks  like  peace  has  yet 
transpired.  Hope  the  dispatches  contain  something  more  favor 
able.  It  seems  there  has  been  a  great  revolution  at  home,  a  great 
change  in  the  ministry,  and  administration  are  willing  to  redress 
our  grievances,  and  put  us  on  the  same  footing  we  were  in  seven 
ty-three.  They  pretend  to  think  that  the  Americans  are  so  at 
tached  to  the  British  nation  and  so  anxious  for  peace,  that  they 
will  renounce  their  alliance  with  the  Frence  nation  : — that  we 
were  contending  with  the  former  ministry,  and  not  at  war  with 
the  nation  at  large.  I  hope  the  States  will  exert  themselves  and 
get  their  quota  of  men  early  into  the  field — the  only  means  to  pro 
cure  peace  on  good  terms. 

"  There  was  last  week  some  little  disturbance  in  this  part  of  the 
army,  but  it  has  all  happily  subsided.  One  of  the  principal  pro 
moters  of  it  was  yesterday  executed  at  West  Point — a  soldier  be 
longing  to  the  first  Reg1." 

The  outposts  along  theCroton  River  were  as  close 
ly  guarded  as  ever,  and  in  the  spring  of  this  year  the 
command  was  assigned  to  Major  Wyllys.  From  the 
beginning  of  the  war  these  posts,  which  were  some 
times  nearer  the  enemy,  had  been  under  the  charge 
of  such  trustworthy  officers  as  Burr,  Hull,  Tallmadge 
and  others,  and  were  seldom  surprised  by  the  enemy's 


Events  in   1782-83.  143 

reconnoitering  parties.    Wyllys,  now  quite  a  veteran, 
was  another  good  selection. 

He  wrote  occasionally  while  on  duty.     One  of  his 
official  notes  to  Gen.  Heath  runs  as  follows  : 

"  PINE'S  BRIDGE,  28th  May  1782. 


"  Should  it  meet  with  your  approbation,  I  could  wish  to  make 
some  movements  on  the  other  side  of  Croton-River,  with  that 
part  of  the  command  now  with  me — and  to  allow  the  party  at 
Bedford  to  make  some  little  excursions  between  the  Lines.  I 
cannot  imagine  it  would  injure  the  Service. — We  have  no  intelli 
gence  of  importance  as  yet  come  to  hand,  or  late  N.  York  papers 
— Cap1.  Smith  has  just  now  sent  me  a  Deserter,  from  the  New 
Bridge  whom  I  send  on — 

"  I  am,  Sir, 

"  with  the  greatest  respect 
"  your  most  obedient  &  humble  Serv', 

"JN°  P.  WYLLYS, 
"  Majr  Comd*  on  the  Lines."  ' 

Another  to  Col.  Webb,  June  3d  : 

"  I  hope  to  find  the  Troops,  when  I  return,  ready  to  take  the 
Field,  as  the  herbage  here  is  very  luxuriant.  The  Duty  here  is 
now  much  easier  than  at  first  or  rather  is  more  natural  —  I  have 
slept  under  cover  no  night  since  I  have  been  at  the  post  —  We 
make  use  of  Sergnt  White's  bed  of  honour  on  which  ten  thousand 
men  might  sleep  without  touching  —  however  duty  may  be  called 
hard — our  men  grow  sick  fast.  A  party  of  our  volunteer  horse 
which  I  had  sent  as  a  scout  fell  in  with  some  refugees,  five  or 
six  of  whom  they  wounded  &  took  one  prisoner — that  is  all 
the  military  exploit  in  which  I  have,  as  yet,  had  any  hand  since 
the  command  commenced.  I  expect  Gen1  [Heath's]  thanks  for 
planning." 

The  lookout  along  the  Sound  was  also  well  kept, 
and  the  movements  of  the  enemy's  vessels  reported. 

1  From  the  Webb  "  Reminiscences." 


1 44         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

Gen.  Silliman  at  Fairfield  could  be  trusted  to  warn 
the  towns  along  the  coast  of  all  suspicious  craft,  as  he 
did  early  in  June  as  follows  : 

"  FAIRFIELD,  June  4th,  1782, 

"7  P.  M. 
aSm: 

"  There  is  a  Fleet  of  the  Enemy's  Ships  now  in  the  Sound.  They 
are  twenty  in  number.  They  appeared  at  four  this  afternoon 
about  12  miles  to  the  westward  ;  they  are  standing  eastward  in  a 
regular  Line,  and  are  now  opposite  to  my  House  with  a  fair  but 
very  light  Breeze.  A  Frigate  leads  and  another  is  in  the  Reer. 
The  rest  of  the  Fleet  consists  of  Brigantines,  Topsail  Sloops  & 
Schooners  principally  large.  I  am  of  opinion  that  they  may  have 
on  Board  with  ease  1500  or  2000  Troops.  They  intend  mischief 
somewhere.  New  Haven  is  as  likely  to  be  their  object  as  any 
Place.  I  have  thought  it  my  duty  to  give  you  this  notice  by  ex 
press,  that  you  may  be  on  your  Guard. 

"  I  have  to  entreat  you  to  forward  this  Intelligence  immediately 
to  His  Excellency  at  Hartford  by  express  ;  and  also  to  New  Lon 
don  &  the  other  Towns  on  the  Coast  between  that  &  New  Haven; 
that  they  may  not  be  surprised  for  want  of  Intelligence. 

"  You  will  excuse  this  Letter  coming  open,  as  I  have  not  time 
otherwise  to  give  the  Intelligence  to  Stratford  &  Milford. 

"  I  am  Your  Obed' 
"  Humble  Serv', 

"  G.  SELLECK  SILLIMAN.  ' 
"To 

"  Col.  HEZ.  SABIN, 

"  New  Haven." 

A  Light  Infantry  corps  consisting  of  two  regi 
ments  was  again  organized  for  possible  operations  in  the 
summer  and  fall,  and  placed  under  the  command  of 
Col.  Samuel  B.  Webb.  Among  the  few  graduates 
assigned  to  it  were  Major  Ashley,  class  of  1767,  and 
Captain  Welles,  the  latter  for  the  third  time  on  this 
service.  No  opportunity,  however,  was  given  the 

1  From  the  original  in  the  Trumbull  Papers,  Mass.  Hist.  Society. 


Events  in  1782-83.  145 

command  to  distinguish  itself  as  in  previous  years. 
Captain  Welles  writing  from  the  Light  Camp  at 
Peekskill,  Nov.  Qth,  says  :  "We  are  now  preparing  to 
march  to-morrow  morning  to  relieve  the  Troops  on 
the  lines.  The  Block  House  at  Dobbs  Ferry  is  the 
Post  to  which  I  am  destined.  ...  I  propose  making 
a  visit  among  my  friends  soon  after  the  Light  In 
fantry  are  dissolved,  which  may  be  in  the  course  of  six 
weeks  or  less." 

Toward  the  close  of  the  year,  Tallmadge  made  his 
third  attempt  on  Long  Island.  The  first  two  had 
been  handsomely  executed.  On  this  occasion  he 
sought  Washington's  permission  to  strike  at  the  pro 
vincial  corps  commanded  by  Col.  Thompson,  who 
afterwards  became  the  somewhat  famous  Count 
Rumford.  Washington  granted  permission,  and  pre 
pared  to  make  a  demonstration  at  the  same  time  in 
the  direction  of  King's  Bridge.  The  night  of  the  5th 
of  December  was  fixed  for  the  movement.  But  this 
time  Tallmadge  was  to  meet  with  disappointment,  the 
cause  of  the  failure  appearing  in  his  official  report 
and  in  the  following  letter  he  wrote  to  Col.  Colt,  then 
with  the  French  army  at  Providence  : 

"  NORTH  STREET,  Dec.  nth,  '82. 
"  DEAR  SIR  : 

"  I  have  been  so  busily  engaged  on  duty  for  some  time,  that  I 
have  scarcely  had  leisure  to  write  a  Line  to  my  friends — 

"  There  is,  at  Huntington  on  Long  Island  Col.  Thompsons  Le 
gion,  the  remainder  of  the  Queens  Rangers  &  Tarleton's  Legion, 
amounting  to  about  500  men,  whose  abuses  to  the  Inhabitants 
have  induced  me  to  ask  consent  of  the  Commander  in  Chief  to 
break  them  up. — He  has  been  good  enough  to  gratify  my  request 
&  with  a  picked  body  of  Lt.  Infantry  from  the  army,  apart  of  our 


146         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

Regt.,  some  Levies  &  armed  boatmen,  amounting  to  above   500 
men,  I  moved  to  Stamford  on  the  evening  of  the  5th  Inst. 

"  Just  as  the  Troops,  were  about  to  embark  on  Shiphard  Point, 
a  very  sudden  squall  come  up  from  the  West,  which  prevented 
our  crossing.  —  This  was  followed  by  a  heavy  northwest  wind, 
which  continued  several  days  —  I  tarried  on  the  Point  three 
nights  with  the  whole  Detachment,  till  I  was  convinced  the  Enemy 
might  have  been  apprized  of  our  situation,  even  by  the  way  of 
Kingsbridge,  when  to  my  inexpressible  mortification,  I  was 
obliged  to  give  over  the  enterprise. 

"  Three  of  the  Enemies  boats  were  discovered  on  Norwalk  Isl 
ands  at  this  time  —  I  sent  out  some  boats  under  Capt.  Brewster, 
when  with  about  even  numbers  a  most  severe  conflict  insued  in 
which  two  of  the  enemies  boats  were  taken  by  two  of  ours — 

"  The  notorious  Capt  Hoyt  who  commanded  one  of  the  enemies 
boats,  had  every  one  of  his  men  either  killed  or  taken  —  Six  of 
the  enemy  were  killed  and  i  Capt.  i  Lt.  &  13  men  wounded  & 
Prisoners  —  on  our  part,  not  a  man  was  killed  but  Capt  Brewster 
is  badly  wounded  and  several  of  his  men— 

"  I  am  still  of  the  opinion  that  the  British  Troops  are  preparing 
to  leave  N.  Y.  &  that  we  shall  have  the  city  in  the  spring. 

"  The  Garrison  of  Charlestown  [S.  C]  has  undoubtedly  left  that 
place  &  it  is  said  some  of  the  Troops  have  arrived  at  N.  York. 

"  Our  Regt  will  move  to  Winter  Quarters  in  a  few  days — when 
our  cantonments  are  known,  I  will  write  you  again.  I  am  my 
Dr  Sir 

"  Most  affectionately  yours 

(Signed)     BENJ.  TALLMADGE. 

"Mr.  Colt—"1 

The  Major's  chagrin  at  failure  must  have  yielded 
to  feelings  of  highest  gratification  upon  reading  the 
following  letter  from  his  Chief  in  reply  to  his  report 
of  the  affair  : 

"HEAD  QUARTERS,  Dec.  loth,  1782. 
"  DEAR  SIR  : 

"  I  received  your  favour  of  the  8th  last  Evening  by  Express.  Tho' 
you  have  not  met  with  that  success  you  deserved,  and  probably 

1  From  the  original  in  possession  of  Frederick  S.  Tallmadge,  Esq.,  N.  Y. 
City,  grandson  of  Major  Tallmadge. 


Events  in  1782-83.  147 

would  have  obtained  had  the  Enterprize  proceeded,  yet  I  cannot 
but  think  your  whole  conduct  in  the  affair  was  such  as  ought  to 
entitle  you  still  more  to  my  confidence  and  esteem — for  however 
it  may  be  the  practice  of  the  World  and  those  who  see  objects 
but  partially,  or  thro'  a  false  medium,  to  consider  that  only  as 
meritorious  which  is  attended  with  success,  I  have  accustomed 
myself  to  judge  of  human  Actions  very  differently  and  to  appre 
ciate  them  by  the  manner  in  which  they  are  conducted,  more  than 
by  the  Event  ;  which  it  is  not  in  the  power  of  human  foresight 
and  prudence  to  command  —  In  this  point  of  view,  I  see  nothing 
irreparable,  &  little  occasion  of  serious  regret,  except  the  wound 
of  the  gallant  Captain  Brewster,  from  which  I  earnestly  hope  he 
may  recover  —  Another  time  you  will  have  less  opposition  from 
the  Winds  &  Weather,  and  success  will  amply  compensate  for  this 
little  disappointment. 

"  I  have  almost  determined  to  post  you  with  the  Infantry  of  the 
Legion  contiguous  to  the  Sound,  in  which  case  I  shall  expect  you 
to  persevere  in  your  endeavours  to  keep  me  perfectly  advised  of 
the  State  of  the  Enemy — and  perhaps  some  favourable  moment 
may  yet  occur. 

"  I  am  Dear  Sir 
"  With  sincere  regard  & 
"  esteem  your  Most  Ob1  Serv1 

"  G°  WASHINGTON. 
"P.  S. 

"  Your  Letter  of  the  5th 
with  the  enclosures  were 
safely  delivered  to  me. 

"  Major  TALLMADGE."  * 

With  the  opening  of  the  year  1 783  hostilities  had 
practically  ceased.  Tallmadge  was  engaged  in  sup 
pressing  the  illicit  trade  carried  on  across  the  Sound, 
and  the  main  army,  reduced  in  numbers,  was  kept 
prepared  for  emergencies  ;  but  friends  and  foes  alike 
regarded  the  war  as  over. 

1  From  the  original  in  possession  of  Mrs.  George  T.  Balch,  Troy,  N.  Y., 
grandaughter  of  Major  Tallmadge.  Also  in  Sparks'  Washington. 


148         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

Early  in  the  year  Gen.  Stirling  died  at  Albany. 
One  of  his  aids  was  Major  Richard  Sill,  class  of  1775, 
who  officially  informed  Washington  of  the  event  as 
follows  : 

"ALBANY,  January  i4th,  1783. 
"SIR: 

"  Major-General  Lord  Stirling  took  his  leave  of  this  world  at  6 
o'clock  this  morning.  Lady  Stirling  and  Lady  Caty  are  in  the 
deepest  distress.  It  would  no  doubt  be  more  agreeable  to  his 
friends  could  he  be  intered  with  the  honors  due  to  his  rank,  but 
the  distance  of  the  Troops  from  this  place  will  render  it  impos 
sible  to  pay  so  small  a  tribute  to  his  memory.  A  subaltern  party, 
which  has  been  stationed  in  Town  as  a  Guard  (being  the  only 
Troops  in  the  City)  will  be  ordered  to  attend  on  the  occasion.  It 
is  not  as  yet  determined  on  what  day  the  funeral  will  be  attended. 
Under  the  hope  of  Coll  Duer's  arrival  it  is  probable  it  will  be 
postponed  a  day  or  two.  I  have  the  honor  to  be,  with  the  great 
est  esteem  and  Respect, 

"  Your  Excellency's 

"  Most  Obedient  Servant, 

"  RICHARD  SILL. 
"  His  Excellency,  General  Washington. 

"  P.  S. — His  Lordship's  funeral  is  to  be  on  Thursday, 
the  16th."1 

In  April  the  treaty  of  peace  was  signed.  During 
the  summer  the  army,  four  regiments  excepted,  was 
disbanded;  on  November  25th  the  enemy  evacu 
ated  New  York,  and  a  detachment  of  our  forces, 
led  by  the  Light  Infantry,  under  Col.  Hull,  occupied 
the  city.  There  Washington  bade  farewell  to  his 
officers,  and  then  went  on  to  Congress,  at  Annapolis, 
to  resign  his  commission. 

At  the  close  of  the  year  a  regiment  was  organized 
to  serve  until  July,  1784,  of  which  Hull  was  the  lieut- 

1  From  the  original  in  the  Archives  of  the  State  Department,  Washing 
ton,  D.  C. 


Events  in  1782-83.  149 

colonel,  Charles  Selden,  class  of  1777,  adjutant,  and 
Nathan  Leavenworth,  class  of  1778,  surgeon's  mate. 
With  its  disbandment  the  old  Army  of  the  Revolu 
tion,  excepting  an  artillery  company  or  two,  disap 
peared. 

The  last  letter  bearing  upon  the  war,  and  with 
which  this  portion  of  the  graduate  record  closes,  is 
the  following  from  Col.  Hull,  who  had  been  commis 
sioned  in  1784  to  superintend  the  transfer  of  the 
northern  posts  into  American  hands,  as  provided  by 
the  treaty  of  peace.  It  is  addressed  to  Gen.  Haldi- 
mand,  commanding  the  English  forces  in  Canada,  the 
original  being  in  the  Haldimand  collection,  British 
Museum,  London  : 

"QUEBEC,  1 2th  July,  1784. 
"  SIR: 

"  I  am  instructed  to  request  of  your  Excellency,  in  Behalf  of 
the  United  States  of  America,  the  precise  Time  when  each  of  the 
Posts  within  their  Territories,  now  occupied  by  his  Britannic 
Majesty's  Forces,  will  be  delivered  up  agreeably  to  the  definitive 
Treaty  of  Peace,  and  to  propose,  as  a  matter  of  mutual  conven 
ience,  an  Exchange  of  certain  Cannon  and  stores  now  at  the 
Posts  to  be  Evacuated  for  Cannon  and  Stores  to  be  delivered  at 
West  Point,  New  York,  or  some  other  convenient  place. 

"  With  regard  to  the  first  Point,  as  the  Season  of  the  Year  is  al 
ready  far  advanced,  and  as  much  Time  will  be  required  in  fur 
nishing  necessary  supplies  for  the  Garrisons  during  the  Winter,  it 
is  an  object  of  very  great  Importance,  and  I  must  beg  leave  to  be 
solicitous  with  your  Excellency  to  fix  a  very  early  period. 

"  As  the  Posts  of  the  above  description  are  numerous,  and  it 
being  probable  that  it  may  not  be  convenient  to  withdraw  the 
Troops  from  the  whole  exactly  at  the  same  time,  I  wish  your  Ex 
cellency  to  be  particular  in  fixing  the  precise  period  when  each 
will  be  delivered  up. 

"  If  your  excellency  approves  the  Proposal  of  exchanging  the 
Cannon,  Stores,  &c.,  it  will  be  necessary  to  fix  on  some  criterion 


150         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

of  their  goodness.  I  would,  therefore,  propose  that  the  particular 
negotiations  be  referred  to  two  Artillery  officers,  one  from  each 
side,  who  shall  personally  inspect  the  Cannon  and  Stores,  and  in 
case  of  not  agreeing,  call  in  a  third  Person. 

"  I  Have  the  Honor  to  be  your  Excellency's 
"  Most  obed1  Serv', 

"WM.  HULL. 
"His  Excellency  General  Haldimand." 


HUMPHREYS  AND  DWIGHT 

ox 
WASHINGTON. 


151 


WASHINGTON. 

Vt     ^V.  -,  ^ 

Humphrey's  Visit  to  Mt.  Vernon  in  1786— Letter  to  his  Brother — liyVj^ged 

to  Write  a  History  of  the  Revolution — Personal  Items — The  "  Fame?  of  Q  *">  «*«•*  *        , 
his  Country  "  at  Home — President  Dwight's  Eulogy  on  Washington — Air^^^* 
Estimate  of  his  Character — Personal  Qualities,  Public  Conduct,  Military 
Talents,  and  Place  in  History. 

AFTER  the  war  Col.  Humphreys  went  abroad  as  at 
tache  to  our  Paris  Legation,  and  upon  his  return,  in 
1 786,  Washington  sent  him  a  cordial  invitation  to 
visit  Mt.  Vernon.  Humphreys  accepted,  and  after 
his  arrival  there  wrote  the  following  letter  to  his 
brother,  at  Derby,  Conn.,  describing  his  journey  and 
impressions,  and  indulging  in  personal,  gossipy 
items,  which  add  to  its  interest.  It  is  also  of  value 
as  giving  us  a  glimpse  of  interior  and  farm  life  at 
Washington's  home  : 

"MOUNT  VERNON,  Aug.,  4th,  1786. 
"  MY  DEAR  BROTHER  : 

"  Tho'  I  hate  writing  abominably  when  I  have  nothing  to  say,  or 
(what  amounts  to  the  same  thing)  nothing  but  what  relates  to 
myself,  yet  I  will  try  for  once  to  see  what  can  be  said  on  such  an 
unimportant  occasion  &  on  such  an  unpromising  theme. 

"  My  journey  was  more  agreeable  than  could  have  been  expected 
at  such  a  sultry  season.  It  was  a  fortunate  circumstance  that  we 
had  such  plenty  of  rain  as  never  to  be  incommoded  by  the  dust. 
By  setting  off  at  2  or  3  o'clock  in  the  morning  we  also  eluded  the 
intensity  of  the  heat.  The  variety  of  character  to  be  met  with  in 
the  stages  is  truly  amusing.  I  rested  some  days  at  the  principal 
places  on  my  route  where  I  received  uncommon  marks  of  atten 
tion.  Indeed  I  have  found  by  recent  experience  as  well  as  by 
former  travelling  a  great  deal  in  the  world,  that  a  poet  like  a 
Prophet  is  not  without  honor  except  in  his  own  Country. 

'S3 


154         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

"  Here  I  am  domesticated  in  the  family  of  the  greatest  of  men. 
My  reception  was  the  most  cordial  that  can  possibly  be  conceived 
— my  situation  is  such  as  would  excite  the  envy  of  thousands.  I 
believe  I  showed  you  a  letter  which  Gen1  Washington  wrote  to 
me  while  in  Europe  &  which  contained  the  following  paragraph 
— 4  The  sentiment  of  your  last  letter  on  this  subject  (writing  a 
history  of  the  war)  gave  me  great  pleasure.  I  should  indeed  be 
pleased  to  see  you  undertake  this  business.  Your  abilities  as  a 
writer,  your  discernment  respecting  the  principles  which  led  to 
the  decision  by  arms,  your  personal  knowledge  of  many  facts  as 
they  occured  in  the  progress  of  the  war,  your  disposition  to  justice, 
candor  &  impartiality,  and  your  diligence  in  investigating  truth — 
combining —  fit  you  in  the  vigor  of  life  for  this  task.  And  I  shall 
with  great  pleasure  not  only  give  you  the  perusal  of  all  my  papers, 
but  any  oral  information  of  circumstances  which  cannot  be  ob 
tained  from  the  latter  that  my  memory  will  furnish.  And  I  can 
with  great  truth  add  that  my  house  would  not  only  be  at  your 
service  during  the  period  of  your  preparing  this  work,  but  (and 
without  an  unmeaning  compliment  I  say  it)  I  should  be  exceed 
ingly  happy  if  you  would  make  it  your  home.  You  might  have 
an  apartment  to  yourself  in  which  you  could  command  your  own 
time.  You  would  be  considered  &  treated  as  one  of  the  family, 
and  would  meet  with  that  cordial  reception  and  entertainment 
which  are  characteristic  of  the  sincerest  friendship.' 

"  Here  is  a  noble  work  before  me,  but  deterred  by  the  magnitude 
of  the  enterprise  I  have  not  yet  had  spirit  enough  to  resolve  upon 
its  execution.  Whatever  I  may  decide  for  the  moment,  I  shall 
not  absolutely  lose  sight  of  the  object.  In  the  meantime,  it  af 
fords  me  no  unpleasant  reflection  to  be  convinced  that  the  man 
in  the  United  States  who  entertains  the  most  favorable  sentiments 
of  my  morals  and  abilities  is  precisely  the  greatest  man  in  them. 
Nor  is  it  derogatory  to  one's  reputation  to  hold  so  high  a  place 
in  the  confidence  &  friendship  of  Gen1  Washington.  These  are 
circumstances  that  would  be  flattering  to  the  vanity  of  almost  any 
man.  For  myself  I  feel  a  rational  satisfaction  that  my  honest 
endeavors  to  do  my  duty  have  met  with  success  &  merited  his 
approbation. 

"  It  will  no  doubt  be  a  matter  of  some  curiosity  to  know  in  what 
manner  my  illustrious  friend  lives  in  his  retirement.  It  is  I  as- 


Washington .  155 

sure  you  with  much  temperance  as  well  as  a  great  deal  of  exer 
cise.  He  rises  about  5  o'clock  &  passes  a  great  part  of  his  time 
in  superintending  his  plantations  ;  you  may  judge  how  extensive 
they  are  when  I  tell  you  he  has  had  about  800  acres  of  wheat  & 
700  of  corn  this  year.  Besides  this  attention  to  the  improvement 
of  his  estate  he  is  a  good  deal  occupied  in  opening  the  navigation 
of  the  Potomac,  and  in  answering  the  letters  of  his  numerous  cor 
respondents  in  Europe  as  well  as  in  America.  By  a  letter  which 
he  has  just  received  from  a  foreigner  of  distinction  in  Paris  I  find 
that  one  of  my  Poems  which  was  lately  translated  into  French  has 
been  received  with  much  applause,  that  the  King  and  Queen  hav 
ing  read  it  with  great  satisfaction,  have  testified  their  suffrage  in 
favor  of  the  author. 

"  I  propose  being  in  New  Haven  at  the  Commencement  and  con 
sequently  shall  set  out  from  this  so  as  to  be  with  you  early  in  Septr, 
and  I  have  no  objection  to  its  being  known  by  my  friends  who  are 
freemen  of  your  town,  that  I  shall  be  on  the  spot  and  if  they  should 
think  proper  to  appoint  me  one  of  their  representatives  I  well  serve 
them  as  such — indeed  you  may  show  this  letter  where  you  think 
you  can  do  it  \vith  discretion  and  propriety.  —  Probably  this 
journey  to  the  Eastward  may  decide  me  whether  I  shall  in  future 
consider  myself  a  citizen  of  my  native  State  or  not.  I  have  sev 
eral  projects,  some  one  of  which  I  am  confident  will  succeed. 

"  By  a  letter  which  I  received  while  in  New  York  from  our 
brother  in  Portsmouth,  I  had  the  pleasure  to  learn  that  his  family 
are  well.  I  hope  to  have  the  happiness  of  finding  our  venerable 
and  good  parents  with  the  rest  of  my  relations  and  friends  at  Derby 
in  the  same  condition.  In  the  meantime  present  me  respectfully 
to  them  &  believe  me  ever,  My  Dear  Brother, 

"  Yours  affectionately 

"  D.  HUMPHREYS. 
"JOHN  HUMPHREYS,  Esq. 

P.  S. — Perhaps  I  shall  not  come  on  quite  so  soon  as  I  had  pro 
posed,  as  there  is  an  eminent  painter  in  Philadelphia  who  is  en 
gaged  in  giving  some  historical  paintings  of  the  most  remarkable 
events  which  took  place  during  the  war,  and  who  has  requested 
me  to  sit  for  him  (on  my  return  from  the  South)  as  he  has  occa 
sion  to  introduce  my  figure  into  two  great  pieces  he  has  now  in 
hand,  viz.:  the  first,  the  presentation  of  the  standards  taken  at 


156         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

Yorktown  to  Congress  by  your  humble  servant.     The  other,  the 

resignation  of  Gen  Washington.     You  see  whatever 

of  my  own  town  may  think  of  it,  posterity  are  likely  to  have  some 
information  concerning  me."  1 

It  seems  appropriate  to  insert  in  this  connection 
also  an  extract  from  the  sermon  delivered  by  Presi 
dent  Dwight  at  New  Haven,  Feb.  22,  1800,  on  the 
death  of  Washington,  in  the  course  of  which  he  en 
tered  into  an  analysis  of  his  character  and  qualities 
more  discriminating  and  complete  than  any  thing  that 
has  come  down  to  us  from  those  days. 

Its  intrinsic  and  historical  value  must  appear  in 
the  portions  quoted.  The  text  of  the  discourse  was 
from  Deuteronomy  xxxiv.,  10-12  :  "  And  there  arose 
not  a  prophet  since  in  Israel  like  unto  Moses.  .  .  ." 


"  General  Washington  was  great,  not  by  means  of  that  brilliancy 
of  mind  often  termed  genius,  and  usually  coveted  for  ourselves 
and  our  children,  and  almost  as  usually  attended  with  qualities 
which  preclude  wisdom,  and  depreciate  or  forbid  worth,  but  by  a 
constitutional  character  more  happily  formed.  His  mind  was  in 
deed  inventive,  and  full  of  resources  ;  but  its  energy  appears  to 
have  been  originally  directed  to  that  which  is  practical  and  use 
ful,  and  not  to  that  which  is  shewy  and  specious.  His  judgment 
was  clear  and  intuitive  beyond  that  of  most  who  have  lived,  and 
seemed  instinctively  to  discern  the  proper  answer  to  the  cele 
brated  Roman  question  :  Cm  bono  erit?  To  this  his  incessant 
attention  and  unwearied  observation,  which  nothing,  whether 
great  or  minute,  escaped,  doubtless  contributed  in  a  high  degree. 
What  he  observed  he  treasured  up,  and  thus  added  daily  to  his 
stock  of  useful  knowledge.  Hence,  although  his  early  education 
was  in  a  degree  confined,  his  mind  became  possessed  of  extensive, 
various,  and  exact  information.  Perhaps  there  never  was  a  mind 

1  Original  in  possession  of  Mrs.  William  Humphreys  (aged  94),  of  Ashtabula, 
Ohio,  niece  by  marriage  of  Col.  David  Humphreys. 


Washington.  157 

on  which  theoretical  speculations  had  less  influence,  and  the  de 
cisions  of  common  sense  more. 

"  At  the  same  time  no  man  ever  more  earnestly  or  uniformly 
sought  advice,  or  regarded  it  when  given,  with  more  critical 
attention.  .  .  .  When  any  measure  of  importance  was  to  be 
acted  on,  he  delayed  the  formation  of  his  judgment  until  the  last 
moment ;  that  he  might  secure  to  himself,  alway,  the  benefit  of 
every  hint,  opinion,  and  circumstance  which  might  contribute 
either  to  confirm,  or  change,  his  decision.  Hence,  probably  in  a 
great  measure,  arose,  that  he  was  so  rarely  committed;  and  that  his 
decisions  have  so  rarely  produced  regret,  and  have  been  so  clearly 
justified  both  by  their  consequences  and  the  judgment  of  man 
kind. 

"  With  this  preparation  he  formed  a  judgment  finally  and  wholly 
his  own  ;  and,  although  no  man  was  ever  more  anxious  before  a 
measure  was  adopted,  probably  no  man  was  ever  less  anxious 
afterward.  He  had  done  his  duty,  and  left  the  issue  to  Provi 
dence. 

"  To  all  this  conduct  his  high  independence  of  mind  greatly 
contributed.  By  this  I  intend  a  spirit  which  dares  to  do  its  duty 
against  friends  and  enemies,  and  in  prosperous  and  adverse  cir 
cumstances  alike  ;  and  which,  when  it  has  done  its  duty,  is  regard 
less  of  opinions  and  consequences. 

"  Nor  was  he  less  indebted  to  his  peculiar  firmness.  He  not 
only  dared  to  act  in  this  manner,  but  uniformly  sustained  the 
same  tone  of  thought  and  feeling — such  as  he  was  at  the  decision, 
he  ever  afterward  continued  to  be,  and  all  men  despaired  of  oper 
ating  on  him  unless  through  the  medium  of  conviction.  The 
same  unchanging  spirit  supported  him  through  every  part  of  his 
astonishing  trials  during  the  war  ;  and  exhibited  him  as  exactly 
the  same  man  after  a  defeat,  as  after  a  victory  ;  neither  elated  nor 
depressed,  but  always  grave,  serene,  and  prepared  for  the  event. 

"  From  other  great  men  he  was  distinguished  by  an  exemption 
from  favouritism.  No  man  ever  so  engrossed  his  attachment,  as 
to  be  safe  for  a  moment  from  deserved  reproof  or  censure  ;  nor 
was  any  man  ever  so  disrelished  by  him,  as,  on  that  account,  to 
fail  of  receiving  from  him  whatever  applause,  or  services,  his  merit 
could  claim.  Hence  his  friends  feared,  and  his  enemies  respected 
him. 


158         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

"  His  moderation  and  self  government  were  such  that  he  was 
always  in  his  own  power,  and  never  in  the  power  of  any  other 
person.  Whatever  passions  he  felt,  they  rarely  appeared.  His 
conduct,  opinions,  and  life  wore  unusually  the  character  of  mere 
intellect.  .  .  .  His  justice  was  exact,  but  tempered  \vith  the 
utmost  humanity  which  the  occasion  would  suffer.  His  truth  no 
sober  man  who  knew  him  probably  ever  doubted.  Watchful 
against  his  own  exposures  to  error,  he  was  rarely  found  erring  ; 
jealous  of  doing  injustice,  if  he  has  done  injustice,  it  is  yet,  I  be 
lieve,  unrecorded. 

"  His  reservedness  has  been  at  times  censured.  To  me  it  ap 
pears  to  have  been  an  important  and  necessary  characteristic  of 
a  person  situated  as  he  was.  In  familiar  life  a  communicative 
disposition  is  generally  pleasing,  and  often  useful  ;  in  his  high 
stations  it  would  have  been  dangerous.  One  unguarded  or 
ambiguous  expression  might  have  produced  evils,  the  remedy  of 
which  would  have  been  beyond  even  his  own  power.  No  such 
expression  is  recorded  of  him. 

"  His  punctuality  was  extreme.  He  rose  always  with  the  dawn; 
he  dined  at  a  given  minute  ;  he  attended  every  appointment  at 
the  moment.  Hence,  his  business,  public  and  private,  was  al 
ways  done  at  the  proper  time,  and  always  beforehand. 

"  No  person  appears  to  have  had  a  higher  sense  of  decorum, 
and  universal  propriety.  The  eye,  following  his  public  and  pri 
vate  life,  traces  an  unexceptionable  propriety,  an  exact  decorum 
in  every  action,  in  every  word,  in  his  demeanor  to  men  of  every 
class,  in  his  public  communications,  in  his  letters,  and  in  his 
familiar  conversation,  from  which  bluntness,  flattery,  witticism,  in 
delicacy,  negligence,  passion,  and  overaction,  were  alike  excluded. 

"  From  these  things,  happily  combined,  always  seen,  and  seen 
always  in  their  native  light,  without  art  or  affectation,  it  arose 
that  wherever  he  appeared,  an  instinctive  awe  and  veneration  at 
tended  him  on  the  part  of  all  men.  Every  man,  however  great  in 
his  own  opinion,  or  in  reality,  shrunk  in  his  presence,  and  became 
conscious  of  an  inferiority  which  he  never  felt  before.  Whilst  he 
encouraged  every  man,  particularly  every  stranger,  and  peculiarly 
every  diffident  man,  and  raised  him  to  self-possession,  no  sober 
person,  however  secure  he  might  think  himself  of  his  esteem, 
ever  presumed  to  draw  too  near  him. 


IV ask  ing  ton .  159 

"  With  respect  to  his  religious  character,  there  have  been  differ 
ent  opinions.  No  one  will  be  surprised  at  this  who  reflects  that 
this  is  a  subject  about  which,  in  all  circumstances  not  involving 
inspired  testimony,  doubts  may  and  will  exist.  The  evidence  con 
cerning  it  must,  of  course,  arise  from  an  induction  of  particulars. 
Some  will  induce  more  of  these  particulars,  and  others  fewer ; 
some  will  rest  on  one  class  or  collection,  others  on  another  ;  and 
some  will  give  more,  and  others  less,  weight  to  those  which  are 
induced,  according  to  their  several  modes  and  standards  of  jud 
ging.  The  question  in  this  and  all  other  cases  must  be  finally  de 
termined  before  another  tribunal  than  that  of  human  judgment ; 
and  to  that  tribunal  it  must  ultimately  be  left.  For  my  own  part, 
I  have  considered  his  numerous  and  uniform  public  and  most 
solemn  declarations  of  his  high  veneration  for  religion,  his  exem 
plary  and  edifying  attention  to  public  worship,  and  his  constancy 
in  secret  devotion,  as  proofs,  sufficient  to  satisfy  every  person  will 
ing  to  be  satisfied.  I  shall  only  add  that  if  he  was  not  a  Chris 
tian,  he  was  more  like  one,  than  any  man  of  the  same  description, 
whose  life  has  been  hitherto  recorded. 

"  As  a  warrior,  his  merit  has,  I  believe,  been  fully  and  readily 
acknowledged  ;  yet  I  have  doubted  whether  it  has  always  been 
justly  estimated.  His  military  greatness  lay  not  principally  in 
desperate  sallies  of  courage  ;  in  the  daring  and  brilliant  exploits 
of  a  partisan.  These  would  have  ill  suited  his  station,  and  most 
probably  have  ruined  his  cause  and  country.  It  consisted  in  the 
formation  of  extensive  and  masterly  plans  ;  effectual  preparations, 
the  cautious  prevention  of  great  evils,  and  the  watchful  seizure  of 
every  advantage  ;  in  combining  heterogeneous  materials  into  one 
military  body,  producing  a  system  of  military  and  political  meas 
ures,  concentering  universal  confidence,  and  diffusing  an  in 
fluence  next  to  magical  ;  in  comprehending  a  great  scheme  of 
war,  pursuing  a  regular  system  of  acquiring  strength  for  his 
country,  and  wearing  out  the  strength  of  his  enemies.  To  his 
conduct,  both  military  and  political,  may,  with  exact  propriety, 
be  applied  the  observation,  which  has  been  often  made  concern 
ing  his  courage  :  that  in  the  most  hazardous  situations  no  man 
ever  saw  his  countenance  change. 

"  Perhaps  I  shall  be  thought  to  have  dwelt  too  long  and  too 
minutely  on  his  character.  I  hope  I  shall  be  justified,  partially  at 


160         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

least,  when  it  is  remembered  that  I  have  been  seizing  the  best  op 
portunity,  which  I  shall  ever  enjoy,  of  teaching,  in  the  most  affect 
ing  manner  in  my  power,  the  youths  committed  to  my  instruction, 
and  forming  a  part  of  this  audience,  the  way  to  become  great,  re 
spectable,  and  useful. 

"Such,  my  friends  and  fellow  citizens,  was  the  man  whose 
death  we  are  assembled  to  lament,  and  whose  worth  we  com 
memorate.  Like  the  illustrious  subject  of  my  text,  he  stands 
alone  in  his  nation.  Like  him,  he  was  great  in  the  splendor  of 
designation,  in  wisdom,  in  effort,  in  success,  in  the  importance  of 
his  talents,  virtues  and  labours,  to  the  nation  over  whom  he  pre 
sided  in  war  and  peace  ;  in  the  estimation,  the  love,  and  the  tears 
of  his  country.  .  .  .  To  Americans  his  name  will  be  ever 
dear — a  savour  of  sweet  incense  descending  to  every  succeeding 
generation." 

This  eulogy  was  delivered  at  the  "  Brick  Meeting 
House,"  on  the  green,  at  the  request  of  the  citizens  of 
New  Haven,  and  afterwards  printed.  It  is  now  a 
rare  pamphlet.  Dr.  Dwight  had  not  only  met  Wash 
ington  in  the  field  during  the  Revolution,  but  pos 
sessed  every  means  of  forming  a  correct  judgment  of 
him.  Among  others,  Humphreys,  his  intimate  friend, 
could  tell  him  much,  and  in  his  notes  to  the  discourse 
Dwight  states  that  he  was  indebted  to  Tallmadge 
for  interesting  facts.  In  the  extracts  given  we  may 
see  Washington  as  known  to  the  most  observing  of 
his  contemporaries.  One  cannot  but  be  impressed 
with  the  fidelity  of  the  portrait. 


MAJORS   WYLLYS    AND    HEART. 

1785-1791. 


161 


MAJORS  WYLLYS  AND  HEART. 

In  the  Regular  Army — Wyllys,  Senior  Major — Stationed  in  the  Ohio  Country 
— Recommended  for  a  Colonelcy — Letter  from  Harmar — First  Indian 
War— Harmar's  Defeat,  and  Death  of  Wyllys— Letters— Heart  Promoted 
Major  of  the  Second  Regiment — St.  Clair's  Defeat,  and  Death  of  Heart. 

WHILE  this  record  properly  ends  with  the  close  of 
the  Revolutionary  War,  it  would  seem  to  be  incom 
plete  in  the  case  of  two  of  the  graduates,  who,  after 
giving  eight  years  to  the  cause  of  independence,  soon 
re-entered  the  service  of  the  country.  They  did  much 
in  the  Revolution  ;  but  were  to  do  as  much  in  after 
years,  until  each  in  similar  situations  fell  heroically  in 
the  line  of  duty.  These  officers  were  John  Palsgrave 
Wyllys  and  Jonathan  Heart. 

In  the  present  connection  their  names  revive  an  in 
teresting,  though  somewhat  unfamiliar,  piece  of  his 
tory.  Our  success  in  the  Revolution  gave  us  a  west 
ern  frontier,  which  Congress  was  at  once  called  upon 
to  protect,  and  in  April,  1785,  a  regiment  of  seven 
hundred  men  was  raised  to  take  post  in  the  Ohio 
country,  where  families  from  the  Atlantic  States  were 
beginning  to  settle.  The  new  regiment  was  com 
manded  by  Lieut.-Col.  Josiah  Harmar,  of  Pennsylva 
nia,  and  its  two  majors  were  to  be  apppointed  from 
New  York  and  Connecticut.  Wyllys  received  the 
appointment  from  the  latter  State,  and  one  of  its  two 
companies  was  given  to  Capt.  Heart.  Both  these 
graduates,  it  will  be  recalled,  were  Light  Infantry 

163 


1 64         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

officers  with  Lafayette  in  his  Virginia  campaign,  and 
at  the  siege  of  Yorktown.  What  motive  took 
them  again  into  the  service  does  not  clearly  appear. 
Wyllys  was  now  an  experienced  and  accomplished 
officer,  and  would  have  been  a  natural  selection  for 
any  responsible  post.  Heart  seems  to  have  gone  by 
preference  to  assist  in  surveying  and  defending  a  sec 
tion  of  the.  country  where  some  of  his  friends  and 
former  comrades  were  expecting  to  settle.  His  let 
ters,  written  from  Ohio,  show  him  enthusiastic  in  his 
new  duties. 

From  1786  to  1790  Harmar's  command,  which  was 
originally  known  as  the  First  American  Regiment, 
or  the  first  of  our  present  regular  army,  was  scat 
tered  at  various  posts  along  the  Ohio  and  in  the  ter 
ritory  beyond.  Headquarters  were  originally  fixed 
at  Pittsburg,  with  companies  stationed  at  Fort  Wash 
ington  (now  Cincinnati),  at  Vincennes,  at  Venango, 
at  points  on  the  Miami,  and  elsewhere.1  These  years 
were  spent  in  exploring  the  country,  guarding  routes 
of  travel,  and  in  efforts  to  keep  peace  with  the  red 
man.  Beyond  this  there  is  little  to  record.  Wyllys, 
who  was  senior  major,  is  mentioned  by  Heart  in 
1 786  as  having  gone  to  take  command  on  the  Miami, 
and  Major  Beatty,  Paymaster  of  the  Western  Army, 
makes  the  entry  in  his  journal  for  June  i5th  of  that 
year,  that  "  Major  Wyllys,  in  a  barge,  set  off  for 
Muskingham.  The  officers  accompanied  him  5  or 

!As  to  the  position  of  the  command  at  one  time,  Capt.  Heart  wrote  from 
French  Creek,  on  Oct.  14,  1787,  as  follows:  "All  is  peace  and  quiet  here, 
though  continued  accounts  of  murders,  &c.,  down  the  river.  No  accounts 
from  the  Wabash  country,  where  headquarters  are  at  present.  An  extent  of 
1350  miles  is  not  a  short  line  for  one  Regt.  to  occupy.  That  is  the  distance 
from  this  post  to  post  Vincent." 


Majors  Wyllys  and  Heart.      165 

6  miles  up  the  river,  and  regretted  parting  with  so 
good  an  officer  and  agreeable  companion."  How 
highly  he  was  thought  of  appears  also  in  the  follow 
ing  extract  from  a  letter  written  by  Col.  Harmar  to 
Gov.  Huntington  of  Connecticut,  dated  "  Headquar 
ters,  Fort  Washington,  March  2,  1790": 

"  It  is  more  than  probable  that  an  augmentation  of  the  regular 
troops  will  take  place  (indeed  I  believe  the  measure  will  be  found 
absolutely  necessary),  in  which  case  suffer  me  to  mention  Major 
Wyllys  as  a  very  honest,  brave,  deserving  officer,  and  in  every 
point  of  view  adequate  to  the  command  of  a  regiment.  I  am  in 
duced  to  offer  this  recommendation,  not  from  any  solicitation  of 
the  major's,  but  as  he  is  now  absent  in  the  Illinois  country,  and 
there  may  be  some  candidates  at  home  who  are  upon  the  courtier 
establishment,  I  cannot  refrain  (from  the  esteem  I  have  of  his 
character)  expressing  my  wishes  to  your  Excellency  upon  this 
occasion."  J 

Captain  Heart  during  this  time  had  the  opportunity 
of  seeing  much  of  the  country,  and  he  frequently 
wrote  to  his  friend,  Major  William  Judd,  of  Farming- 
ton,  class  of  1763,  in  regard  to  its  resources  and 
prospects.  One  of  his  letters  contains  his  views  as 
to  the  best  manner  of  settling  the  new  territory,  and 
in  another  he  praises  the  policy  of  treating  the  Indi 
ans  in  a  strictly  friendly  and  honorable  way. 

In  1 787  he  was  directed  to  build  a  work  at  Venango, 
Pa.,  afterwards  known  as  Fort  Franklin,  "  in  order 
to  check  the  Northern  Indians  on  the  Frontiers  of 
Pennsylvania  by  way  of  the  Allegany  River."  2  "  The 

1  Appendix  to  Maj.  Denny's  Journal,  Penn.  Historical  Society  Publications. 

-  "  Fort  Franklin  on  French  Creek,  near  to  the  post  formerly  called  Venango, 
is  a  small  strong  fort  with  one  cannon,  erected  in  1787,  and  garrisoned  with 
one  company.  The  excellent  construction  and  execution  of  this  work  reflects 
honor  on  the  abilities  and  industry  of  Captain  Hart,  who  garrisons  it  with  his 
company,  and  who  was  his  own  engineer." — Report  of  Com.  on  State  of  the 
War  Dept.,  1788. 


1 66         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

United  States,"  wrote  Col.  Harmar  to  Heart,  "are 
greatly  embarrassed  in  their  Finances  and  wish  to 
avoid  as  much  as  possible  an  Indian  War  ;  nothing  but 
unprovoked  aggression  on  the  part  of  the  Savages  on 
the  troops  or  legal  settlers  should  be  an  inducement 
to  commence  hostilities.  ...  I  make  not  the  least 
doubt  that  you  are  sufficiently  impressed  with  the  im 
portance  of  this  command." 

Indian  troubles,  however,  increased,  and  in  1790  it 
became  necessary  to  march  against  the  Miami  and 
Wabash  tribes  with  all  the  force  that  could  then  be 
mustered.  Gen.  Harmar  led  the  expedition.  Leav 
ing  Fort  Washington,  Sept.  30,  1790,  with  three 
hundred  and  twenty  regulars  under  Majors  Wyllys 
and  Doughty,  and  an  undisciplined  body  of  about 
eleven  hundred  Pennsylvania  and  Kentucky  militia 
men  under  Col.  Hardin,  he  marched  northward  and 
on  Oct.  I7th  reached  the  principal  Indian  settlements, 
in  the  vicinity  of  present  Fort  Wayne,  Ind.  Here 
he  destroyed  several  villages  including  the  Shawnee 
town  of  "  Chillakothe."  The  Indians  nevertheless 
succeeded,  on  the  I9th,  in  totally  defeating  a  detach 
ment  sent  out  under  Hardin  to  ascertain  their  where 
abouts. 

As  the  command  had  effected  one  of  its  main 
objects  in  burning  the  villages,  it  took  up  the  return 
march  on  the  2ist  and  proceeded  eight  miles.  At  this 
camp  Harmar  halted  and  sent  back  another  detach 
ment  to  waylay  and  defeat  the  Indians,  who,  elated 
with  their  surprise  of  Hardin,  would  doubtless  follow 
and  seriously  harass  the  main  body.  Three  hundred 
and  sixty  picked  men,  sixty  of  them  regulars,  were 


Majors  Wyllys  and  Heart.      167 

accordingly  detailed  for  the  purpose,  and  Major  Wyl 
lys  placed  in  command.  Col.  Hardin,  anxious  to  re 
trieve  the  disgrace  of  the  iQth,  accompanied  the  de 
tachment  as  leader  of  the  militiamen.  Late  at  night 
on  the  2ist,  Wyllys  marched  out  of  camp,  and  crossing 
the  St.  Joseph  River  at  the  site  of  Fort  Wayne,  pre 
pared  to  surprise  the  Indians  who  were  supposed  to 
have  returned  to  their  burned  villages.  He  divided 
his  force  into  three  parties  with  instructions  to  con 
verge  at  the  point  of  attack.  Major  Hall  on  the 
left  was  to  make  a  detour  to  the  rear  of  the  savages, 
Major  McMillan  took  the  right,  while  the  regulars 
under  Wyllys,  with  an  improvised  company  of  troop 
ers  under  Major  Fontaine,  formed  the  centre.  They 
had  proceeded  but  a  short  distance  when  the  militia 
men  on  the  right  and  left,  discovering  a  few  Indians 
in  their  front,  pursued  them,  contrary  to  Wyllys' 
orders,  far  in  advance  of  the  centre  company.  A 
large  body  of  Indians  noticing  this  suddenly  fell 
upon  the  unsupported  Wyllys  and  opened  a  destruc 
tive  fire.  The  regulars  bravely  standing  their  ground 
were  in  a  moment  engaged  in  a  terribly  close  en 
counter.  Fifty  out  of  the  sixty  fell  dead  upon  the 
field.  Among  them  was  Wyllys.  Mortally  wounded 
he  asked  to  be  helped  upon  his  horse  to  give  the 
enemy  a  last  charge,  but  with  men  falling  about 
him  this  could  not  be  done.  He  died  with  his 
comrades,  sealing  his  career  as  the  first  of  the  long 
line  of  regular  army  officers  whose  lives  have  been 
sacrificed  in  warfare  on  the  frontier.  His  remains 
were  afterwards  buried,  with  eight  or  ten  others, 
in  a  trench  on  the  banks  of  the  Maumee  at  Fort 


1 68         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

Wayne.1  Capt.  Heart,  though  not  engaged  in  this 
affair,  was  in  the  expedition,  and  in  two  letters  to 
Major  Judd,  gives  us  some  idea  of  its  severity.  On 
Nov.  4th,  he  writes  from  Fort  Washington  : 

"  We  yesterday  returned  from  the  expedition  against  the  Miami 
Villages,  that  nest  of  murderers,  which  we  have  entirely  de 
stroyed.  I  suppose  the  history  of  New  England,  that  seat  of  In 
dian  wars,  scarcely  affords  an  instance  of  such  another  bloody 
action.  They  fought  with  desperation.  Our  loss  was  great,  and 
amongst  the  killed  we  have  to  drop  a  tear  to  the  memory  of  those 
good  men,  Maj.  Wyllys  and  L*  Frothingham.  I  have  not  time  to 
enter  into  particulars." 

The  second  letter,  giving  ''particulars,"  and  dated 
"  Fort  Harmar,  Dec.  3,  1790,"  is  in  part  as  follows  : 

"  Our  troops  were  formed  in  three  columns,  Majr  McMullen, 
with  a  battallion  of  malitia  on  the  right,  Majr  Hall  on  the  left, 
and  Majr  Wyllys,  with  the  regular  troops  and  a  company  of  horse, 
in  the  center.  Very  soon  after  crossing  the  Miami  they  lost  the 
disposition.  Majr  Hall,  with  a  party  of  his  men,  pursued  the  few 
scattering  Indians,  and  had  got  two  miles  in  front.  Majr  McMul 
len  had  gone  more  to  the  right.  The  commanding  officer  of  the 
horse,  with  the  fury  of  a  madman,  charged  the  Indians  without  a 
single  man  following  him.  He  fell,  and  the  horse  were  scattered 
in  confusion.  Majr  Wyllys,  still  moving  on,  the  Indians  in  a 
large  body  came  round  upon  his  rear  from  the  right,  attacked 
his  party  with  irresistible  impetuosity  ;  numbers  fell  the  first  dis 
charge  ;  the  remainder,  overpowered  by  numbers,  and  no  assist 
ance,  were  compelled  to  retreat  across  the  main  branch  of  the 
Miami,  about  one  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  place  where  the  ac 
tion  commenced.  During  this  the  slaughter  was  great  on  both 
sides.  By  this  time  a  party  of  Maj.  Hall's  command  and  some 
horse  had  collected  on  the  opposite  shore,  and  gave  the  Indians 
a  very  warm  reception  ;  but,  being  very  numerous,  our  men  scat 
tered.  They  crossed  in  different  places.  Our  parties  retreated, 

1  Brice's  "  History  of  Ft.  Wayne,  Ind.,"  1868,  in  which  he  says  that  Wyllys  was 
buried  "some  twenty  rods  below  the  residence  of  J.  J.  Comparet,  Esq.,"  p. 
129,  n. 


Majors  Wyllys  and  Heart.      169 

except  Maj.  McMullen,  who,  having  moved  on  for  some  distance, 
and  not  hearing  of  the  other  columns,  returned  to  the  French  vil 
lage,  and  waiting  there  some  time  after  the  retreat  of  the  others, 
returned  to  camp  with  very  little  loss.  Our  loss  was  a  Majr, 
Lieut,  and  about  70  men  in  both  actions  ;  the  malitia  lost  some 
thing  more.  The  loss  of  the  Indians  cannot  be  exactly  ascer 
tained.  From  the  most  accurate  calculations  it  is  estimated  at 
120  of  their  warriors.  The  general  opinion  of  those  late  on  the 
field  of  action  is  that  the  number  was  much  greater. 

"  The  testimony  of  more  than  one  militia  man  declares  that  a 
regular  soldier  on  the  retreat  near  the  St.  Joseph  river,  being  sur 
rounded  and  in  the  midst  of  the  Indians,  put  his  bayonet  through 
six  Indians,  knocked  down  the  seventh,  and  the  soldier  himself 
made  the  eighth  dead  man  in  the  heap.  There  were  many  in 
stances  in  which  while  the  Indian  was  giving  the  fatal  blow  with 
his  tomahawk,  he  fell  by  the  bayonet,  and  he  who  pushed  the 
bayonet  fell  by  the  tomahawk  in  his  turn.  We  returned  to  head 
quarters  without  a  single  shot  being  fired  afterwards,  and  though 
we  have  every  reason  to  lament  the  death  of  Majr.  Wyllys,  L' 
Frothingham  and  many  other  brave  men,  we  may  say  the  expedi 
tion,  under  every  consideration,  has  been  as  successful  as  we 
could  expect,  and  we  have  every  reason  to  believe,  had  we  not 
sent  back  the  detachment,  more  of  our  men  would  have  been 
killed  by  their  harassing  us  on  the  return  than  fell  in  the  action." 

The  death  of  Wyllys  was  greatly  regretted.  In 
his  general  orders  and  official  report  to  the  War  De 
partment,  Gen.  Harmar  refers  to  him  as  a  gallant 
officer,  who  "  united  the  talents  of  a  cultivated  mind 
with  the  best  virtues  of  the  heart,"  and  whose  "  long 
and  meritorious  services  claim  the  grateful  remem 
brance  of  his  country."  The  New  York  and  Con 
necticut  Cincinnati  societies  resolved  to  wear  badges 
of  mourning  in  his  memory,  while  some  sympathetic 
friend  published  a  tribute  to  the  Major's  worth  in 

1  From  papers  in  possesssion  of  the  Western  Reserve  Historical  Society, 
Cleveland,  Ohio. 


i ;c         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

the  following  lines.     The  scene  is  laid  by  mistake 
on  the  "  encrimsoned  "  Wabash  : 

"  There,  if  e'er  chance  the  traveller  shall  lead, 
The  blood-drenched  shore  with  rev'rence  let  him  tread, 
And  mark  the  spot  where  oft,  at  eve  unseen, 
The  weeping  Genii  plant  the  laurel  green, 
And  Fancy  bids  her  choicest  flow'rets  rise, 
To  deck  the  lonely  grave  where  WYLLYS  lies. 

****** 

u  From  England's  gentlest  blood,  an  honored  name, 
In  virtues,  arts,  and  arms,  long  known  to  fame, 
He  sprung  : — Where  Jfartfordcrowns  with  spiry  pride 
Her  high  romantic  banks  and  crystal  tide, 
His  infant  sports  and  happier  hours  were  led, 
Till  Yale's  fair  laurels  graced  his  youthful  head. 
What  time  the  Briton,  to  our  guiltless  shore, 
In  proud  array  his  thund'ring  legions  bore, 
When  erst  Columbia's  starry  flag  unfurl'd 
Show'd  a  new  eagle  to  the  wond'ring  world, 
The  gallant  youth  appear'd  at  freedom's  shrine, 
Drew  his  yet  unstain'd  steel,  and  joined  the  embattled  line  ; 
There  in  long  toils  and  dangers  tried,  he  won 
Th'  approving  smiles  of  god-like  WASHINGTON. 
****** 

"  The  patriot  bands,  reliev'd  from  martial  toil, 
Return  and  court  the  long-neglected  soil  : 
Severer  cares  his  warrior  arms  engage — 
To  guard  the  western  realm  and  quell  barbarian  rage, 
And  lo  !  on  wild  Miami's  dusky  plain, 
O'er  slaughter'd  heaps  he  leads  his  victor  train  ; 
There  as  the  foe  in  trembling  haste  retires, 
In  glory's  arms  the  hapless  chief  expires."  J 

1  "  Lines  on  MAJOR  WYLLYS,  of  the  Federal  Troops,  who  fell  in  a  late  en 
gagement  with  the  Savages  at  the  river  St.  Joseph,  in  the  Western  Territory  of 
the  U.  States.  By  a  Friend."  Printed  in  Gazette  of  the  United  States,  Feb.  9, 
1791- 


Majors  Wyllys  and  Heart. 


171 


For  Wyllys,  his  old  companion-in-arms  and  fellow- 
graduate,  Jonathan  Heart  had  a  "  tear"  to  shed,  lit 
tle  foreboding  the  parallel  fate  which  was  soon  to 
overtake  himself. 

In  the  following  year  occurred  St.  Glair's  great  de 
feat.  Harmar's  expedition  having  failed  in  the  sup 
pression  of  Indian  savages,  Congress  authorized  a 
second  attempt  with  a  larger  force.  Another  United 
States  Regiment — the  Second  Infantry — was  organ 
ized,  and  Captain  Heart  promoted  from  the  First  to 
be  one  of  its  majors.  The  expedition  left  Fort  Wash 
ington  in  October,  1791,  and  on  November  3d  en 
camped  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Wabash,  where  the 
town  of  Ft.  Recovery,  Mercer  Co.,  Ohio,  now  stands. 
At  sunrise  on  the  4th,  the  camp  was  suddenly  at 
tacked  ,by  a  strong  and  determined  body  of  Indians. 
A  desperate  fight  ensued.  Many  old,  experienced 
officers  of  the  Revolutionary  army  were  in  St.  Clair's 
force,  and  through  their  exertions  and  example  the 
troops  were  kept  from  retreating  in  a  panic.  The 
deadly  fire  of  the  enemy,  however,  rapidly  thinned 
their  ranks,  and  the  day  ended  with  a  defeat  more 
disastrous  than  Braddock  suffered  in  the  French  and 
Indian  War.  The  Second  Regiment  was  the  only 
body  of  regulars  on  the  ground,  excepting  the  Artil 
lery,  and  it  was  twice  called  upon  to  charge  the 
enemy  and  drive  them  from  positions  where  they 
commanded  almost  every  part  of  the  camp.  Major 
Heart,  who  had  been  conspicuous  for  his  bravery 
throughout  the  engagement,  led  the  second  charge 
with  skill  and  success  for  the  moment,  but  the  effort, 
in  the  absence  of  sufficient  support,  proved  unavail- 


172         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

ing  as  well  as  terribly  fatal.  Heart  and  all  but  three 
of  the  officers  of  the  regiment  were  killed.  Panic 
and  retreat  closed  the  day's  disaster. 

The  commanding  officer  of  the  Second  Infantry, 
Lieut.-Col.  Darke,  was  sufficiently  brave  but  without 
military  experience,  and  according  to  Col.  Winthrop 
Sargent,  St.  Clair's  Adjutant-General,  who  was  active 
and  observant  throughout  the  engagement,  the  regi 
ment  was  in  reality  in  the  hands  of  Major  Heart.  In 
his  journal  of  the  expedition,  speaking  of  the  last 
charge,  Winthrop  says  :  "In  the  execution  of  the 
command  to  the  Second  Regiment,  which  was  per 
formed  with  great  order  and  spirit,  the  whole  merit 
is  due  to  Heart  and  his  own  officers,  for  the  Colonel 
only  went  along  with  them,  after  the  exertion  for 
their  formation  under  a  heavy  and  galling  fire  from 
the  enemy  was  over.  .  .  .  The  Major's  conduct 
through  the  day  was  soldierly  beyond  my  expecta 
tions." 

Heart  was  something  more  than  the  soldier.  He 
interested  himself  in  the  survey  of  lands  for  new  set 
tlers,  and  was  consulted  by  Gen.  Parsons  in  negotiat 
ing  for  the  purchase  of  the  Western  Reserve,  the  out 
lines  of  which  he  agreed  to  lay  down.  The  Ohio 
mounds  and  Indian  ethnology  also  interested  him,  as 
we  know  from  his  letters,  one  or  more  of  which  were 
published  in  the  "  Transactions  of  the  American 
Philosophical  Society."  The  naturalist,  Dr.  Benj.  S. 
Barton,  speaks  of  him  in  the  same  publication  as 
"  My  much  lamented  friend,  Major  Jonathan  Heart"  ; 
and,  as  in  the  case  of  Wyllys,  some  "  friend  and  class 
mate  "  remembered  him  with  a  tribute  in  poetry 


Majors  IVyllys  and  Heart.      173 

which  appeared  in  the  Hartford   Courant  for  Jan.  2, 
1792,  as  follows  : 

"  Could  all  that  nature  boasts  protect  the  life, 
My  friend  had  yet  survived — his  soul  was  great, 
In  friendship  true — there  softer  passions  dwelt. 
A  child  of  Science  born,  with  patriot's  mind 
That  caught  the  martial  flame,  by  heaven  blest, 
To  save  a  bleeding  land.     Pleasant  in  life  ; 
How  brave  in  death  ?  thy  country  mourns  the  loss. 
From  State  to  State,  the  moving  tale  is  told — 
Hart  is  no  more.     With  wreaths  of  heaven  crown'd, 
His  shade  arose  from  the  embattled  plain, 
Where  carnage  strow'd  the  ground.     Let  dew  nor  rain 
No  more  descend,  where  flow'd  the  crimson  stream  ; 
Let  angels  guard  the  dust. — Sleep,  Hero,  sleep  ; 
Tho*  flesh  dissolves,  thy  fame  immortal  lives." 


ROLL  OF  HONOR, 

WITH 

BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES. 


175 


NOTE  ON  AUTHORITIES. 

IN  preparing  the  following  biographical  sketches,  the  writer  has  confined 
himself  mainly  to  the  Revolutionary  career  of  the  graduates.  Otherwise,  beyond 
their  identification  and  the  insertion  of  such  items  as  have  been  readily  access 
ible,  not  much  has  been  attempted. 

The  principal  data — appointments,  promotions,  and  military  services  gener 
ally — have  been  obtained  largely  from  manuscript  records,  there  being  compar 
atively  little  in  print  containing  such  details.  The  following  are  among  the 
records  consulted  : 

i. — At  Washington. — The  original  rolls  of  the  Conn.  Continental  Line  in 
the  Pension  Office.  Papers  and  maps  in  the  Library  of  Congress.  Memoranda 
from  the  Department  of  State.  2. — The  "Trumbull"  and  "  Heath"  papers 
in  the  Mass.  Historical  Society,  Boston.  Sparks'  Collection,  Harvard  Univer 
sity  Library.  3. — Rolls  and  papers  in  the  State  Library,  Hartford,  including 
the  Acts  of  the  Council  of  Safety  in  the  Controller's  office,  of  which  Hinman 
published  about  one  half.  The  records  of  the  Cincinnati  Society  and  the 
Wolcott  Papers  in  the  Conn.  Historical  Society.  4.— The  "  Gates,"  "Steuben," 
and  other  papers  in  the  N.  Y.  Historical  Society.  The  "Tomlinson"  collec 
tion,  Mercantile  Library,  N.  Y.  5. — Thirty  or  more  order-books  relating  to 
the  Connecticut  troops  in  the  hands  of  the  descendants  of  Col.  Grosvenor,  Col. 
Bradley,  Adj.  Benjamin,  and  others,  as  well  as  order-books  in  various  historical 
societies.  6. — Numerous  letters  and  documents  in  the  hands  of  private  individ 
uals,  such  as  the  "  Webb  "  MSS.,  in  possession  of  Gen.  Alex.  S.  Webb,  LL.D., 
N.  Y.  City;  the  "Livingston"  collection,  owned  by  S.  L.  M.  Barlow,  Esq., 
N.  Y.  ;  Gen.  Silliman's  papers,  referred  to  in  the  text  ;  Mr.  Leffingwell's,  in 
New  Haven  ;  Mr.  Matthew  Griswold's,  Erie,  Pa.  ;  etc.,  etc.  7.— Pres.  Stiles' 
Diary,  Yale  Library.  Extracts  from  Major  Heart's  letters,  Cleveland  ;  Gen. 
Rufus  Putnam's  papers,  Marietta  College,  Ohio. 

The  fac-simile  autographs,  with  a  few  exceptions,  are  reproductions  of  originals 
found  in  letters,  returns,  and  various  papers  of  the  Revolutionary  period. 


176 


ROLL  OF  HONOR 

WITH 

BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES. 

I775-I783. 


Class  of  1 724. 

JOSHUA  BABCOCK, 

Major-General,  Rhode  Island  Militia. 

Although  Dr.  Babcock,  as  he  was  professionally  known,  was 
never  actively  engaged  in  the  field  during  the  Revolution,  he 
stands  with  propriety  at  the  head  of  this  list,  not  only  as  being 
the  earliest  graduate  who  held  a  commission  for  service,  but  also 
as  representing  that  class  of  elderly  citizens,  including  many  col 
lege  men,  who  by  personal  effort  and  sacrifices  at  home  contrib 
uted  materially  to  the  final  success. 

He  lived  at  Westerly,  R.  I.,  a  town  in  which  his  grand-parents 
were  among  the  first  settlers,  and  where  he  was  born,  May  17, 
1707.  Becoming  both  a  physician  and  a  merchant  he  acquired 
large  wealth,  and  by  taking  part  in  public  affairs  made  his  name 
well  known  throughout  the  colony.  His  friend  President  Stiles 
states  that  he  "  loved  to  be  acquainted  with  all  gentlemen  of  note 
in  the  religious,  political,  and  learned  world,  and  entertained 
them  with  a  cheerful  joy  and  pleasure  at  his  house,  where 
they  were  ever  welcome."  Among  such  acquaintances  was 
Benjamin  Franklin,  who  visited  at  the  doctor's  home  on  his  trips 
to  Boston. 

Dr.  Babcock  was  a  man  of  public  note  both  before  and  during 
the  Revolution.  He  served  as  a  Deputy  in  the  Rhode  Island 

177 


178          Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

i 

Assembly  for  ten  or  more  sessions  between  1740  and  1778,  and 
sat  three  times  as  Justice — twice  as  Chief  Justice — of  the  Supreme 
Court  of  the  Colony  prior  to  1765.  In  the  controversy  with  the 
mother  country  he  was  outspoken  in  favor  of  American  liberties, 
and  endorsed  all  war  measures.  When  Boston  was  in  distress  in 
the  fall  of  1774,  he  contributed  one  hundred  dollars  to  its  relief. 
He  assisted  in  the  purchase  of  arms  and  payment  of  bounties 
to  the  soldiers,  and  is  said  to  have  advanced  considerable  sums  of 
money  to  the  State  on  the  public  credit.  Among  his  accounts 
with  the  State  treasurer,  December,  1777,  is  a  bill  of  ^200  "for 
guns,  bayonets,  and  cartouch  boxes  furnished  by  him  for  the  use 
of  the  town  of  Westerly." 

In  the  important  Assembly  session  of  May,  1775,  the  doctor 
appears  to  have  taken  a  leading  part,  as  he  was  delegated  to  carry 
the  resolution,  authorizing  the  enlistment  of  an  army  of  observa 
tion  in  Rhode  Island,  to  the  Connecticut  Assembly,  and  request 
that  body  to  transmit  in  return  its  "  proceedings  and  transactions 
relative  to  the  present  alarming  crisis  of  affairs."  In  September 
following  he  visited  the  American  camp  around  Boston,  where 
his  half-brother,  James  Babcock,  of  the  class  of  1752,  was  a 
Rhode  Island  officer,  and  where  his  son,  Col.  Henry  Babcock,  of 
the  same  class,  who  had  served  in  the  French  and  Indian  War, 
was  then,  or  was  soon  to  be,  present  as  a  volunteer.  On  this  oc 
casion  he  was  bearer  of  an  official  communication  from  Gov. 
Cooke,  of  Rhode  Island,  to  head-quarters  at  Cambridge,  in  which 
he  was  introduced  as  follows  to  Washington  :  "  This  letter  waits 
on  you  by  Joshua  Babcock,  Esq.  He  is  a  gentleman  of  a  genteel 
fortune,  a  member  of  our  General  Assembly,  and  hath  highly  dis 
tinguished  himself  in  the  glorious  cause  in  which  America  is  em 
barked." 

In  May,  1776,  Dr.  Babcock  was  elected  by  the  Assembly, 
Major-General  of  the  "  Colony's  Brigade,"  which  consisted  of  ten 
regiments  for  the  defence  of  Rhode  Island,  and  in  October  of  the 
same  year  the  appointment  was  renewed.  As  the  doctor  was 
then  in  his  seventieth  year,  this  appointment  may  have  been  re 
garded  as  complimentary,  but  it  was  nevertheless  a  military  com 
mission  involving  responsibility  and  exercise  of  good  judgment. 
He  certainly  was  active.  In  the  early  part  of  September,  while 
holding  this  commission,  he  was  appointed  one  of  a  committee  of 


Roll  of  Honor.  \  79 

three  to  proceed  to  New  York  and  consult  with  Washington  re 
specting  the  defence  of  Rhode  Island.  The  committee  reached 
the  city  on  the  i3th,  put  up  at  Gen.  Putnam's  quarters,  No.  i 
Broadway,  and  on  the  i4th  discussed  the  situation  with  the  Com- 
mander-in-Chief  and  other  officers.  Dr.  Babcock  reported  the 
interview  by  letter  to  Gov.  Cooke  (in  MS.  R.  I.  State  Archives, 
also  in  Force),  in  which  he  also  gave  some  interesting  facts  re 
specting  the  abandonment  of  New  York  on  the  i5th.  He  wit 
nessed  our  hurried  retreat  on  that  day. 

When  the  enemy  took  Newport,  in  December,  1776,  the  doctor 
was  made  a  member  of  the  State  Council  of  War,  and  thus  for  the 
time  being  was  quite  a  military  character.  Under  date  of  Dec. 
3ist,  he  wrote  to  Silas  Deane,  in  Congress  at  Philadelphia  :  "  Our 
small  but,  in  the  cause  of  liberty,  loyal  colony,  approachable  by 
vessels  of  war  by  its  extent  of  sea  coasts,  within  twenty  miles  of 
any  port,  have  now  enlisted,  and  are  spiritedly  enlisting  above 
half  its  militia,  and  one-fourth  the  remainder  on  the  Alarm  List, 
bound  to  hold  themselves  in  readiness  for  action  on  an  emergence 
as  Minute-men.  .  .  .  We  are  making  saltpetre  everywhere,  and 
hope,  if  not  from  abroad,  to  be  internally  supplied  with  Powder 
soon.  In  nowise  do  we  despair  ;  for  as  Providence  has  signally 
smiled  on  our  attempts,  we  hope  from  the  justice  of  our  cause  the 
issue  will  be  crowned  with  success."  He  continued  on  the  Coun 
cil  of  War  in  1777  and  1778,  and  during  the  two  years  following 
sat  in  the  House  of  Assistants.  His  death  occurred  at  the  close 
of  the  Revolution,  when  peace  was  assured,  April  i,  1783.  A  bio 
graphical  sketch  of  Dr.  Babcock  appears  in  Updike's  "  History  of 
the  Narragansett  Church,"  from  the  pen  of  Dr.  Levi  Wharton, 
who  knew  him  well,  and  who  says,  among  other  things  :  "  The 
Doctor  was  a  zealous  and  enlightened  patriot,  and  as  liberally 
devoted  his  time  and  money  to  the  cause,  both  in  a  public 
and  private  capacity,  as  a  statesman  or  a  citizen,  as  any  of  his 
compatriots." 


i8o          Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

Class  ^/  1725. 


GURDON  SALTONSTALL, 

Brigadier-General ',  Connecticut  Militia. 

Gen.  Saltonstall  was  the  oldest  graduate  who  at  any  time  dur 
ing  the  contest  served  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  enemy  ;  and 
in  his  case  the  term  was  necessarily  brief,  his  duties  with  the  home 
militia  on  the  sea-board,  as  well  as  his  somewhat  advanced  age, 
preventing  any  lengthened  stay  in  the  field.  His  principal  service 
was  rendered  within  his  own  State. 

The  General  was  a  son  of  the  Rev.  and  Hon.  Gurdon  Saltonstall, 
tenth  Governor  of  Connecticut,  and  was  born  at  New  London,  the 
residence  of  the  family,  Dec.  22,  1708.  Inheriting  and  acquiring 
social  position  and  influence,  he  also  long  held  public  office.  For 
thirty-four  years  before  his  death  he  was  Judge  of  Probate  ;  from 
1744  to  1757,  either  member  of  the  Assembly,  or  of  the  House  of 
Assistants  ;  from  1739,  Colonel  of  the  Third  Regiment  of  Connecti 
cut  Militia.  On  Sept.  6,  1777 — the  date  being  so  given  in  one  of 
his  MS.  letters — he  was  appointed  by  Gov.  Trumbull  Collector  of 
the  Port  of  New  London,  and  held  the  office  for  several  years. 

The  revolutionary  troubles  found  Saltonstall,  in  Trumbull's 
words,  "a  steady  and  warm  friend  to  the  States  of  America."  In 
June,  1774,  he  appears  on  the  town  Committee  of  Correspondence, 
and  on  Sept.  8th  following  he  presided  over  a  convention  of  dele 
gates  from  the  two  counties  of  New  London  and  Windham,  con 
vened  at  Norwich.  On  March  30,  1775,  he  wrote  to  Silas  Deane: 
"  Its  evident  no  more  troops  are  at  present  destined  for  America  ; 
however,  we  must  by  no  means  relax  our  utmost  preparations  to 
be  ready  if  called  to  defend  by  the  sword  "  ;  and  again  :  "  Let 
us  lie  down  and  rise  up  with  a  fixed  determination  to  maintain 
Liberty  for  ourselves  and  posterity."  April  25th,  after  the  Lex 
ington  alarm,  he  writes  :  "  A  volunteer  Town  Watch  of  seventy 
and  upwards  this  day  enlisted  to  watch  six  months  without  re 
ward,  save  the  virtue  of  doing  so  ;  all  my  sons  are  on  ye  roll.  Is 
it  not  best  to  dispatch  a  vessel  to  W.  Indies  for  more  powder  ?  " 
He  was  decidedly  of  the  opinion  that  the  colonies  ou2jht  to  raise 
a  force  of  a  hundred  thousand  men  at  once  as  their  reply  to  min 
isterial  attempt  at  coercion. 


Roll  of  Honor.  181 


When  the  war  opened  he  became  busily  engaged,  with  oth 
ers,  with  plans  and  preparations  for  the  defence  of  New  Lon 
don  harbor.  The  Assembly  appointed  him  in  May,  1775,  one  of 
a  committee  to  report  upon  the  necessary  fortifications,  and  by 
November  following  the  "  old  battery  "  near  the  town  was  rebuilt 
under  his  own  supervision.  He  had  something  to  say  respecting 
the  site  of  the  new  works,  which  were  afterwards  named  Forts 
Trumbull  and  Griswold,  although  their  construction  was  left  to 
engineers.  Under  the  authority  of  the  Assembly,  Col.  Saltonstall 
also  established  a  line  of  alarm  stations  and  post-riders  east  and 
west  along  the  Sound,  connecting  with  other  lines,  and  through 
them  reported  all  occurrences  to  the  governor.  Several  of  his 
letters,  describing  the  movements  of  the  enemy's  vessels  in  the 
summer  of  1775,  are  published  in  the  Deane  correspondence 
(Conn.  Hist.  Soc.  Coll.,  Vol.  II.),  in  Force's  archives,  and  in  the 
MS.  Trumbull  papers.  Among  the  latter  papers,  for  instance,  is 
to  be  found  his  first  report  of  their  manoeuvres  off  Stonington,  be 
ginning  as  follows  :  u  N.  London.  Augc  30,  1775. — Honble  Sir: 
This  morning  early  cannon  was  fired  in  the  eastern  board,  &  have 
continued  firing  ever  since,  &  in  the  last  hour  about  40.  We  had 
advice  at  12  C  that  2  men  of  Warr  &  a  tender  were  firing  on  the 
Houses  at  the  Point  in  Stonington,  without  provocation,  unless 
it  was  that  the  people  had  bro1  stock  (a  small  mater)  from  Block 
Island,"  &c. 

After  the  battle  of  Long  Island,  August,  1776,  Washington 
called  for  re-enforcements,  and  Connecticut  sent  nine  militia 
regiments  from  the  eastern  end  of  the  State.  Of  this  temporary 
force  Col.  Saltonstall  was  appointed  Brigadier-General  by  the 
Governor  and  Council  September  10,  1776,  and  three  or  four  days 
later  he  set  out  for  the  army  with  his  son  Gilbert  as  Brigade- 
Major.  Arriving  at  Westchester  several  of  his  regiments  were 
distributed,  by  Washington's  orders,  at  and  near  Kings  Bridge 
and  one  guarded  points  on  the  Sound.  On  September  3oth  the 
General  was  directed  to  encamp  with  his  four  remaining  regi 
ments  on  Fordham  Heights  on  the  east  side  of  the  Harlem,  oppo 
site  the  Morris  Mansion,  where  he  was  posted  until  the  army 
moved  to  White  Plains  three  weeks  later.  Whether  he  was  pres 
ent  at  the  battle  October  28th  does  not  appear.  Returning  to 
Connecticut,  the  Assembly  appointed  him,  in  December  follow- 


1 82         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

ing,  Brigadier-General  of  the  Third  Brigade  of  Militia,  and  with 
this  rank  he  resumed  his  duties  at  New  London,  guarding  the 
eastern  coast  of  the  State.  When  the  enemy  set  fire  to  the  town 
in  September,  1781,  Gen.  Saltonstall's  "house,  two  stores,  shop, 
and  barn "  were  destroyed.  Two  of  his  sons  also  suffered 
heavily.  In  April,  1782,  the  General,  with  other  citizens,  signed 
an  address  to  be  submitted  to  the  Assembly,  calling  for  discip 
lined,  permanent  garrisons  for  the  Nqw  London  forts  as  their 
only  protection  in  the  future,  the  absence  of  such  being  given  as 
the  reason  of  the  disaster  in  the  previous  year.  This  is  about  the 
last  time  his  name  appears  on  any  military  document  of  the  war. 
He  survived  the  peace  two  years — his  death  occurring  at  Nor 
wich,  while  he  was  visiting  there,  September  19,  1785. 


Class  0/1733. 


BENJAMIN  POMEROY,  D.D., 

Chaplain,  Connecticut. 

Rev.  Dr.  Pomeroy  is  identified  with  Hebron,  Conn.,  where  he 
was  pastor  for  nearly  fifty  years.  He  served  as  chaplain  of 
•one  of  the  Connecticut  regiments  during  the  French  and  Indian 
War.  Chaplain  John  Cleaveland,  class  of  1745,  mentions  him  in 
his  diary  for  1758.  He  also  served  as  chaplain  during  the  Revo 
lutionary  War  and  appears  to  have  been  with  soldiers  of  his  own 
State  at  the  siege  of  Boston,  for  a  short  time,  and  subsequently  in 
the  vicinity  of  New  York.  In  his  notice  of  Dr.  Pomeroy,  in 
Sprague's  "  Annals  of  the  Pulpit,"  Rev.  Dr.  Dav.  Porter  says  : 
"  During  a  part  of  that  arduous  and  long-continued  conflict  he 
was  chaplain  to  the  American  army,  and  made  powerful  appeals 
to  the  troops  in  favor  of  the  vigorous  prosecution  of  the  war. 
His  zeal  for  national  liberty  was  very  manifest  in  his  pulpit  per 
formances  among  his  own  people."  The  Doctor  died  Dec.  22, 


Roll  of  Honor.  \  83 

1784,  in  the  eighty-first  year  of  his  age.  His  obituary  notice  in 
the  Conn.  Mercury,  Jan.  14,  1785,  says  :  "  He  was  a  zealous  and 
able  advocate  for  the  civil  and  religious  liberties  of  his  country, 
and  warmed  with  true  patriotism,  exposed  his  life  in  his  old  age 
in  camp,  in  the  late  war  with  Britain.  He  was  once  pursued  and 
fired  upon  by  a  party  of  the  enemy  near  the  lines  at  New  York, 
as  he  was  riding  to  visit  the  hospital,  and  narrowly  escaped  death  ; 
he  left  the  field  in  the  dear  cause  of  his  country,  only  on  account 
of  bodily  infirmities." 

Class  of  1738. 

DAVID  WOOSTER, 

Brigadier-General  Continental  Army. 
Major-General  Connecticut  Militia. 

Gen.  Wooster's  name  and  services  as  a  soldier  of  three  wars, 
in  each  of  which  he  played  an  honorable  part,  and  his  noble 
sacrifice  in  the  last,  are  familiar  to  readers  of  American  history. 

A  native  of  the  old  town  of  Stratford,  Conn.,  where  he  was 
born  March  2,  1711,  he  settled  in  New  Haven  about  1748,  and  in 
time  engaged  successfully  in  business.  He  married  Mary  Clapp, 
daughter  of  the  President  of  the  College,  and  had  four  children, 
of  whom  a  son,  Thomas,  graduated  in  the  class  of  1768  and  also 
served  in  the  Revolution,  a  part  of  the  time  with  his  father. 

Wooster's  first  public  service  dates  back  to  the  year  1741,  when 
he  was  appointed  Lieutenant  on  the  sloop-of-war  "  Defence," 
built  by  Connecticut  to  guard  her  coast  during  the  troubles 
with  Spain,  or  what  was  jocularly  called  in  England  the  war  of 
"  Jenkins'  Ear."  In  the  following  year  he  was  promoted  Cap 
tain.  He  appears  again  for  service  when  the  expedition  against 
Louisburg,  Cape  Breton,  was  set  on  foot  in  the  spring  of  1745. 
For  that  undertaking  Connecticut  contributed  one  regiment  of 
five  hundred  men  under  Col.  Andrew  Burr,  with  Wooster  as 

1  NOTE  ON  THE  CHAPLAINS. — About  forty  graduates  are  mentioned  as  hav 
ing  served  as  chaplains  during  the  Revolution.  Most  of  them  were  in  the 
State  service,  or  as  volunteers,  with  the  militia,  and  for  brief  periods  at  a  time  ; 
hence  the  record  in  their  case  is  often  meagre.  Chaplains'  names  seldom  ap 
pear  on  the  State  rolls.  We  have  depended  largely  on  published  sketches, 
genealogies,  town  histories,  and  sometimes  tradition,  for  authority  for  including 
them  in  the  present  list.  Full  notices  of  quite  a  number  of  them  appear  in 
Sprague's  "  Annals  of  the  American  Pulpit." 


1 84         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

Senior  Captain.  According  to  accepted  accounts,  upon  the  cap 
ture  of  the  place,  July  lyth,  and  in  recognition  of  his  soldierly 
conduct  during  the  siege,  he  was  detailed  as  one  of  the  officers 
to  effect  the  exchange  of  the  French  prisoners  in  France,  and 
thence  went  to  England,  where  he  was  flatteringly  received  at 
court.  At  about  the  same  time  he  was  appointed  Captain  in  a 
new  regiment  of  regulars,  which  was  to  be  raised  in  America,  and 
the  Colonelcy  of  which  was  given  to  Sir  William  Pepperell,  com 
mander  of  the  provincial  troops  at  Louisburg,  as  one  of  the  re 
wards  of  his  success.  Wooster,  who  was  the  ninth  Captain  with 
commission  dating  September  24,  1745,  recruited  soldiers  for  the 
regiment  in  Connecticut,  and  then  returned  to  Louisburg,  where 
it  was  stationed.  There  he  remained  in  garrison — a  part  of  the 
time,  at  least — until  the  peace  in  1748,  when  the  regiment  was 
disbanded  and  the  officers  retired  on  half-pay. 

Upon  the  breaking  out  of  the  French  and  Indian  War,  seven 
years  later,  Wooster  again  entered  the  service.  His  previous 
record  stood  to  his  advantage,  and  in  1756  the  Connecticut  As 
sembly  elected  him  Colonel  of  the  Second  Regiment,  raised 
for  that  year,  and  in  1758,  1759,  and  1760  he  commanded 
the  Third  Regiment.  His  immediate  superior  in  the  various 
campaigns  was  his  classmate,  Gen.  Phineas  Lyman,  commanding 
all  the  Connecticut  troops,  and  with  him  he  served  successively 
under  Loudoun,  Abercrombie,  and  Amherst.  The  Colonel  had  a 
share  in  the  important  movements,  and  returned  home  with  added 
military  honors  and  experience. 

When  the  Revolution  opened,  Wooster  for  the  third  time  since 
his  cruise  on  the  sloop  "  Defence,"  took  up  the  sword  in  colonial 
interests.  He  was  then  sixty-four  years  of  age — one  of  nine  sur 
vivors  of  the  thirty-two  half-pay  officers  of  Pepperell's  old  Louis 
burg  regiment — but  still  vigorous  and  patriotic.  As  described  by 
his  chaplain,  Rev.  Benjamin  Trumbull  :  "  His  personal  appearance 
was  good,  grand,  and  soldierlike.  He  was  active  and  cheerful, 
and  retained  his  activity,  cheerfulness  and  powers  remarkably  till 
he  fell  in  the  cause  of  his  country."1  Renouncing  his  half-pay, 
he  espoused  the  Revolution.  Being  a  conspicuous  veteran  of  the 
old  wars,  the  Connecticut  Assembly  appointed  him,  April  26, 
1775,  Major-General  of  six  militia  regiments,  to  be  raised  imme- 
1  Thanksgiving  sermon,  North  Haven,  Dec.  n,  1783. 


Roll  of  Honor.  185 


diately  for  "the  safety  and  defence  of  the  colony."  He  was  also 
to  command  the  First  as  Colonel.  As  New  York  was  threatened 
by  the  British,  Gen.  Wooster  marched  with  his  regiment  in  that 
direction,  and  encamped  at  Harlem,  June  28th.  His  coming  had 
been  urged  by  the  New  York  Provincial  Congress,  and  a  week 
later,  July  6th,  the  "  Old  General,"  as  he  was  frequently  called,  and 
his  officers,  were  entertained  in  "  elegant  style  "  by  the  City  Mili 
tary  Club.  Here  Wooster  remained  through  the  summer,  except 
during  a  portion  of  August,  when  he  was  engaged  in  collecting 
stock  at  the  eastern  end  of  Long  Island.  Meantime  Congress,  at 
Philadelphia,  appointed  Wooster,  June  22d,  Brigadier-General  in 
the  Continental  Army,  and  on  Sept.  28th  he  left  New  York  for 
Albany  to  serve  in  the  Northern  Department  under  Gens.  Schuy- 
ler  and  Montgomery.  With  the  latter  general  he  marched  north 
into  Canada,  and  took  post  at  Montreal.  Upon  Montgomery's 
fall  he  was  left  in  command  in  Canada,  with  a  force  altogether 
insufficient  for  its  conquest.  On  April  i,  '76,  he  took  command  at 
Quebec.  Gen.  Schuyler  complained  of  inactivity  and  insubordi 
nation  on  Wooster's  part,  and  a  Committee  of  Congress  recom 
mended  his  removal  on  the  ground  of  incapacity.  Wooster 
afterwards  demanded  an  investigation  of  his  conduct,  and  satis 
factorily  answering  these  charges,  was  acquitted  of  blame.  John 
Adams  throws  some  light  on  this  matter  in  his  autobiography. 
After  stating  that  the  report  in  Wooster's  favor  was  not  adopted 
without  a  struggle,  he  adds  : 

"  In  this  instance  again,  as  in  many  others,  where  the  same  anti-New-Eng 
land  spirit  which  pursued  Commodore  Hopkins  persecuted  Gen.  Wooster,  I 
had  to  contend  with  the  whole  host  of  their  enemies,  and  with  the  utmost 
anxiety  and  most  arduous  efforts  was  scarcely  able  to  preserve  them  from  dis 
grace  and  ruin,  which  Wooster  had  merited  even  less  than  Hopkins.  In 
Wooster's  case  there  was  a  manifest  endeavor  to  lay  upon  him  the  blame  of 
their  own  misconduct  in  Congress  in  embarrassing  and  starving  the  war  in  Can 
ada.  Wooster  was  calumniated  for  incapacity,  want  of  application,  and  even 
for  cowardice,  without  a  color  of  proof  of  either.  The  charge  of  cowardice 
he  soon  refuted  by  a  glorious  and  voluntary  sacrifice  of  his  life,  which  com 
pelled  his  enemies  to  confess  he  was  a  hero." 

In  the  sharp  correspondence  between  Schuyler  and  Wooster  as 
to  affairs  in  Canada,  the  latter  says  in  one  of  his  letters,  Feb.  u, 
1776:  "Since  I  have  been  in  the  army  I  have  exerted  every 
faculty  to  promote  a  union  among  the  officers,  and  have  carefully 


186         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

avoided  every  thing  that  might  have  the  least  tendency  to  cause 
jealousness.  .  .  .  This  is  no  time  to  altercate  ;  the  whole  of  our 
time  is  little  enough  to  attend  to  the  operations  absolutely  neces 
sary  for  the  defence  of  our  country."  He  seems  to  have  been 
uniformly  governed  by  this  spirit.  Upon  returning  from  Canada 
he  was  ordered  to  report  to  his  home  in  Connecticut.  No  further 
Continental  service  was  expected  of  him,  and  his  resignation  was 
probably  looked  for.  As  stated  in  the  teyct,  however,  he  did  not 
resign,  but  while  awaiting  Continental  orders,  accepted  new  serv 
ice  in  the  State.  Connecticut  reappointed  him  Major-General  of 
Militia,  Oct.  23,  1776,  and  from  that  time  until  the  following 
spring  he  commanded  on  the  Western  border.  The  fact  that  Con 
gress  ordered  a  monument  erected  to  his  memory,  would  be  suf 
ficient  proof  that  he  was  in  the  service  at  the  time  of  his  death  ; 
but  the  point  is  settled  beyond  question  in  the  memorial  for  the 
General's  pay  presented  to  the  Legislature,  May  21,  1777,  by  his  son 
Thomas,  in  which  he  says,  referring  to  the  interval  from  October, 
1776,  to  May  2,  1777  :  "  During  the  whole  of  which  time  said  de 
ceased  was  in  the  pay  of  the  Continent  as  a  Brig1  Gen1,  which  your 
memorialist  expects  to  be  able  to  obtain,"  &c.  (MSS.  State 
Library.) 

The  closing  event  in  the  General's  career  is  noticed  in  the  text 
(p.  71).  He  met  a  soldier's  fate  in  fighting  the  enemy  on  the 
Danbury  raid.  The  inscription  ordered  by  Congress  to  be 
placed  on  the  proposed  monument  is  arranged  as  follows  on  the 
printed  minutes  : 

In   Honor  of 

DAVID     WOO  S  T  E  R, 
Brigadier-General   in   the   Army   of   the 

United  States  ; 

In  defending  the  Liberties  of  America, 

and  bravely  repelling  an   Inroad  of  the   British 

Troops,  to  Danbury,  in  Connecticut, 

he  received  a  mortal  wound, 

on   the    2yth    Day   of   April,    1777, 

and    died    on    the    2    of    May     following. 

The  Congress  of  the  United  States, 

as  an  Acknowledgement  of  his  Merits  and  Services, 

have  caused  this  Monument 

to  be  erected. 


Roll  of  Honor.  187 

No  monument  was  put  up  until  1854,  the  expense  of  which  was 
borne  by  citizens  of  Connecticut.  It  stands  over  his  grave  at  Dan- 
bury. 


Class  0/1741. 

JABEZ    HUNTINGTON, 

Major-General^  Connecticut  Militia. 

The  sketch  of  Gen.  Huntington  in  the  "  Huntington  Family 
Memoir"  and  the  references  to  him  in  Hinman's  "Connecticut," 
indicate  his  influence  and  standing  before  the  public  during  the 
Revolution.  He  lived  at  Norwich,  where,  as  a  merchant,  he  had 
acquired  large  wealth.  During  the  Revolution  he  was  prominent 
as  a  member  of  the  Upper  House  of  Assistants,  as  well  as  of  the 
State  Committee  of  Safety.  He  had  four  sons  in  the  service  — 
one  of  them  Gen.  Jedidiah,  graduate  of  Harvard,  and  another, 
Col.  Ebenezer,  class  of  1775,  Yale,  frequently  mentioned  in  the 
text.  He  also  held  militia  commissions  himself.  In  Dec.,  1776, 
he  was  appointed  Second  Major-General  of  the  State,  and  upon 
the  death  of  General  Wooster  he  was  promoted,  May,  1777,  "  first 
Major-General  over  all  the  militia."  He  seems  to  have  turned 
out  with  them  on  alarms  whenever  his  health  permitted.  One 
instance  is  mentioned  when,  early  in  September,  1778,  a  fleet  of 
British  ships  appeared  off  New  London,  and  the  militia,  to  the 
number  of  about  four  thousand,  hastened  to  the  town.  The 
Gazette  of  that  place  for  Sept.  n,  1778,  says  :  "Great  praise  is 
due  to  the  militia  of  the  neighboring  towns,  who,  on  that  occa 
sion,  so  generally  and  with  so  great  alacrity,  came  to  our  assist 
ance  ;  Major-General  Huntington  was  so  sensible  of  this,  that  on 
Saturday  the  several  regiments,  being  drawn  up,  received  his 
thanks  in  general  orders."  His  exertions  in  the  public  service 
affected  his  health  and  he  retired  from  office  in  1779.  He  died 
Oct.  5,  1786,  in  the  sixty-eighth  year  of  his  age. 


1 88         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

WILLIAM   LIVINGSTON, 

Governor  of  New  Jersey. 
Brigadier-General,  State  Militia. 

The  "Life "of  Gov.  Livingston,  by  Theodore  Sedgwick,  Jr., 
published  in  1833,  and  the  nine  volumes  of  his  correspondence 
now  in  possession  of  Samuel  L.  M.  Barlow,  Esq.,  of  New  York, 
are  the  principal  memorials  extant  of  this  staunch  supporter  of 
the  Revolution.  He  was  born  at  Albany,  Nov.  30  (?),  1723, 
studied  law,  and  became  distinguished  in  his  profession  in  New 
York  City.  Having  literary  tastes,  he  wrote  reviews,  letters, 
and  satires,  and  twice  edited  a  paper.  He  took  an  interest  in 
questions  of  the  day,  and  exerted  no  slight  influence.  In  1772 
he  removed  to  Elizabethtown,  N.  J.,  and  in  1774  was  sent  as  a 
delegate  to  the  First  Continental  Congress.  He  was  a  member 
also  in  '75  and  '76,  but  was  engaged  in  other  service  at  the  time 
the  Declaration  was  adopted,  so  that  his  signature  does  not  ap 
pear  on  that  document. 

On  Oct.  28,  1775,  the  New  Jersey  Legislature  appointed  Livings 
ton  Brigadier-General  of  the  Militia,  and  in  the  summer  of  1776, 
while  embodying  and  disciplining  the  troops,  he  had  a  brief  ex 
perience  in  camp  at  Elizabethtown  Point,  opposite  the  enemy,  on 
Staten  Island.  In  a  letter  to  Mr.  Hooper,  delegate  from  North 
Carolina,  he  says,  Aug.  2Qth  :  "  You  would  really  be  astonished 
to  see  how  grand  I  look,  while  at  the  same  time  I  can  assure  you 
I  was  never  more  sensible  (to  use  a  New  England  phrase)  of  my 
own  nothingness  in  military  affairs.  I  removed  to  my  quarters 
from  the  town  hither  to  be  with  the  men,  and  to  enure  them  to 
discipline.  .  .  .  My  ancient  corporeal  fabric  is  almost  totter 
ing  under  the  fatigue  I  have  lately  undergone  :  constantly  rising 
at  2  o'clock  in  the  morning  to  examine  our  lines,  which  are  very 
extensive,  till  daybreak,  and  from  that  time  perpetually  till  eleven 
in  giving  orders,  sending  despatches,  and  doing  the  proper  business 
of  quartermasters,  colonels,  commissaries,  and  I  know  not  what." 
His  stay  in  the  field  was  brief;  for  on  Aug.  31,  1776,  he  was 
elected  Governor  of  the  State,  a  position  to  which  he  was  regu 
larly  re-elected  until  his  death  in  1790.  In  this  capacity  he  was 
to  prove  invaluable.  The  Tories  hated  and  abused  him  heartily; 
but  his  faith  in  the  cause,  his  influence  with  his  people,  his  tact, 


Roll  of  Honor.  189 

wit,  and  resources  combined  to  make  him  a  governor  for  the 
times.  A  thankless  and  burdensome  office  during  the  war,  he 
filled  it  to  the  best  advantage  for  the  country,  especially  assisting 
Washington  and  his  army,  who  so  often  encamped  and  fought  on 
Jersey  soil.  The  Governor's  letter  to  Steuben,  printed  in  the 
text,  shows  what  he  was  made  of,  and  much  more  of  like  charac 
ter  might  be  quoted  both  from  his  published  and  unpublished 
papers.  With  Clinton,  of  New  York,  and  Trumbull,  of  Connec 
ticut,  he  may  be  regarded  as  a  true  "  war  governor  "  of  the  Rev 
olution.  His  death  occurred  at  Elizabeth,  N.  J.,  July  25,  1790. 
An  obituary  notice,  published  in  the  United  States  Gazette  for 
July  28,  1790,  says  :  "  In  his  death  America  sustains  the  loss  of 
one  of  her  most  distinguished  patriots,  and  the  republic  of  letters 
a  very  brilliant  ornament.  Born  and  educated  in  this  country, 
his  whole  life  was  a  constant  succession  of  services  to  pro 
mote  its  best  interests,  and  in  every  public  department  he  dis 
charged  his  duty  with  great  ability  and  the  most  conscien 
tious  integrity."  Reference  to  his  father  and  brothers  appears  on 
page  5- 


NOAH  WELLES,  D.D., 

Chaplain,  Connecticut. 

Pastor  at  Stamford,  Conn.  His  attachment  to  colonial  interests 
was  shown  in  Stamp  Act  times,  when  he  openly  preached  resist 
ance  against  ministerial  interference.  "  He  died  in  office,"  says 
Prof.  Dexter,  "  after  just  thirty  years  of  faithful  ministry,  Dec. 
31,  1776,  at  the  age  of  fifty-eight,  from  jail-fever,  contracted 
while  serving  as  chaplain  to  British  prisoners  in  the  American 
Army."  1 

1  Dr.  Welles's  classmate,  Rev.  Dr.  James  Sproat,  of  Philadelphia,  is  men 
tioned  in  the  Journals  of  Congress  as  writing  to  that  body  respecting  hospital 
service.  He  may  have  served  as  Hospital  Chaplain  with  Dr.  Spencer  in  the 
"  Middle  District  "  for  a  time. 

Rev.  Dr.  Moses  Mather,  class  of  1739,  pastor  in  Middlesex  parish  (Darien), 
Stamford,  is  sometimes  mentioned  as  having  been  chaplain.  His  patriotism 
and  cruel  treatment  by  the  enemy  are  well  known,  but  he  does  not  appear  to 
have  been  with  troops  in  camp. 


i9°          Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

Class  of  1 743 . 

STEPHEN  JOHNSON, 

Chaplain,  Connecticut. 

Pastor  at  Lyme.  A  patriotic  preacher  who  was  appointed 
Chaplain  to  Colonel  Samuel  H.  Parsons'  State  Regiment  in  May? 
1775,  and  who  went  with  it  to  the  Boston  siege.  He  was  there 
several  months.  Dr.  Stiles  speaks  of  meeting  him  in  camp,  in 
September.  See  text,  p.  24.  Mr.  Johnson  died  Nov.  8,  1786, 
aged  sixty-two. 

Class  of  1745. 

JOHN  CLEAVELAND, 

Chaplain,  Massachusetts. 

Pastor  at  Ipswich,  Mass.  ;  born  at  Canterbury,  Conn.,  April 
IT,  1722.  He  was  chaplain  of  Col.  Bagley's  Massachusetts  Regi 
ment  in  the  French  and  Indian  War,  when  he  kept  an  interesting 
diary  which  appears  in  the  publications  of  the  Essex  Institute, 
Salem,  for  1874-1875.  In  1775  he  was  with  the  troops  for  a 
season  during  the  Boston  siege  ;  and  in  the  fall  of  1776  he  ap 
pears  in  Washington's  army  as  chaplain  of  Col.  Jonathan  Cogs 
well's  Essex  County  Militia.  The  regiment  reached  camp  just 
before  the  battle  of  White  Plains  and  was  assigned  to  Parsons' 
brigade.  It  returned  in  December  or  January  following.  Mr. 
Cleaveland  did  not  serve  again.  He  died  April  22,  1799. * 

SAMUEL  TUTHILL, 

Lieutenant-Colonel,  New  Jersey  Troops. 

A  physician  of  Morristown,  N.  J.  He  appears  on  patriotic 
committees  in  Morris  Co.,  in  1775,  and  on  Oct.  27th,  of  that  year, 
he  was  commissioned  Lieut. -Colonel  of  Col.  Matthias  William 
son's  regiment  of  light  horse  to  be  raised  in  the  eastern  part  of 
the  State.  Colonel  Tuthill  resigned  soon  after,  on  Feb.  3,  1776, 
and  his  name  does  not  appear  again  on  the  New  Jersey  rolls.  He 
died  May  31,  1814,  aged  seventy-nine. 

1  Rev.  Nathanael  Taylor,  of  this  class,  is  mentioned  in  the  sketch  of  his  son, 
Lieut.  Aug.  Taylor,  class  of  1776. 


Roll  of  Honor.  191 

Class  of  1 746. 

LEWIS  MORRIS, 

Signer,  Declaration  of  Independence. 
Brigadier-General,  New  York  Militia. 

General  Morris  represented  the  well-known  colonial  family 
of  the  manor  of  Morrisania,  Westchester  Co.,  N.  Y.,  being  the 
fifth  proprietor  and  third  lord  of  the  estate.  Gov.  Lewis  Morris, 
early  Governor  of  New  Jersey,  was  his  grandfather.  He  was 
born  April  8,  1726,  and  upon  inheriting  his  large  property 
spent  his  time  in  improving  it.  In  1775  ne  was  elected  a  dele 
gate  to  the  Continental  Congress,  and  went  again  in  1776,  when 
he  signed  the  Declaration.  Previous  to  this,  or  June  6,  1776,  the 
New  York  Provincial  Congress  appointed  him  Brigadier-General 
of  the  Westchester  Militia ;  but  his  duties  in  Congress  and  the 
affairs  of  his  family,  who  were  compelled  to  leave  their  mansion 
in  view  of  military  operations  in  August  and  September,  pre 
vented  him  from  serving.  On  June  25,  1778,  however,  he  was 
reappointed  Brigadier-General,  and  went  into  camp  with  the 
militia  of  his  county.  Among  Gov.  Clinton's  MSS.,  Albany,  is 
a  note  from  Washington  to  Gen.  Charles  Scott,  Oct.  17,  1778,  in 
structing  him  "  to  supply  such  small  parties  of  Militia  with  Pro 
visions  as  Gen.  Morris  shall  think  necessary  for  the  Protection  of 
the  Farmers,  who  by  their  situation  are  liable  to  be  interrupted 
in  their  farming  business,"  and  "  to  second  the  Militia  in  this 
Duty  as  much  as  circumstances  will  allow." 

For  a  time  during  the  war  Gen.  Morris  lived  in  New  Jersey. 
At  its  close  he  returned  to  his  estate,  which  he  describes  as  hav 
ing  suffered  "  every  injury  that  it  could  possibly  experience  from 
the  hand  of  devastation."  On  May  6,  1784,  he  was  appointed 
Assistant  Judge  of  Westchester  County,  and  in  1786  appears  as 
Senator  and  member  of  the  Council  of  Appointment.  He  was 
also  appointed  Major-General  of  the  Southern  Division  of  the 
State,  and  as  such  was  buried  with  military  honors  upon  his 
death,  Jan.  22,  1798.  His  remains  were  placed  in  the  family 
vault  at  Morrisania.  An  extract  from  his  obituary  notice  reads  : 
"  With  his  friends  he  was  highly  esteemed  ;  for  he  possessed 
those  qualities  which  render  the  friend  truly  valuable.  To  an 


1  92         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

uncommon  degree  of  cheerfulness  of  disposition  were  united  as 
genuine  philanthropy  and  hospitality  as  ever  graced  or  warmed 
the  bosom  of  man." 


JOHN  MORIN  SCOTT, 

Brigadier-General,  Nezv  York  State  Troops. 

A  leading  citizen  and  advocate  of  New  York,  and  one  of 
the  early  graduates  of  the  College  from  this  city.  Chancellor 
Kent's  estimate  of  him  appears  on  page  6,  and  Col.  Varick,  after 
wards  Mayor  of  New  York,  who  studied  law  with  the  General, 
speaks  of  him  in  a  private  letter  in  the  same  high  terms  of  ap 
preciation. 

Scott  was  born  in  New  York  in  1730,  the  only  child  of  John 
and  Marian  Morin  Scott.  His  grandfather,  who  was  third  son  of 
Sir  John  Scott,  Baronet,  of  Ancrum,  County  Roxbury,  Scotland, 
settled  in  New  York  as  a  merchant  some  time  before  1700.  As 
a  lawyer  Scott  was  eminently  successful,  and  is  mentioned  by 
John  Adams  as  being  one  of  the  leaders  of  the  bar  in  1775.  At 
that  time  he  lived  in  a  country  seat,  "  three  miles  out  of  town," 
or  near  the  corner  of  Thirty-third  Street  and  Ninth  Avenue.  He 
took  an  active  part  against  parliamentary  interference,  and  "  as  a 
powerful  public  speaker  in  favor  of  the  colonial  cause,  might  be 
called  the  Samuel  Adams  or  James  Otis  of  New  York.','  In 
1775-76  he  was  a  member  of  the  Provincial  Committee  and  Con 
gress.  On  June  9,  1776,  he  was  commissioned  Brigadier-General 
of  a  New  York  State  brigade  of  three  thousand  men  to  reinforce 
Washington,  and  with  it  he  was  stationed  in  the  city  until  the 
battle  of  Long  Island.  After  that  battle  his  brigade  was  ordered 
over  to  the  Brooklyn  lines.  The  General  wrote  an  interesting 
letter  describing  the  situation  to  John  Jay,  a  portion  of  which  is 
given  on  page  48.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Council  which  re 
solved  upon  the  retreat  from  Long  Island.  His  brigade  was  also 
caught  in  the  forced  retreat  from  the  city,  Sept.  i5th,  after  which 
it  moved  with  the  army  to  Harlem  Heights  and  White  Plains. 


Roll  of  Honor.  193 

When  Washington  marched  into  New  Jersey  General  Scott  took 
post  under  Heath,  on  the  Hudson,  near  Peekskill,  and  there 
remained  on  duty  until  March  i,  1777,  when  his  commission 
expired.  Retiring  from  the  service  he  became  Secretary  of 
State,  March  13,  1778,  and  in  1780  was  elected  a  member  of  the 
Continental  Congress,  serving  three  terms.  He  was  also  a  State 
Senator,  and  a  member  of  the  New  York  Cincinnati  Society. 
During  the  war  he  lived  at  Hurley,  not  far  from  Kingston,  and 
upon  the  evacuation  of  New  York  by  the  enemy  he  returned  to 
his  native  city.  His  health,  however,  was  poor,  and  he  survived 
but  about  a  year  longer,  his  death  occurring  Sept.  14,  1784.  He 
was  buried  in  Trinity  churchyard.  The  New  York  Journal,  of 
Thursday,  Sept.  16,  1784,  notices  his  death  as  follows  :  "  DIED — 
On  Tuesday  evening  last,  at  7  o'clock,  in  an  advanced  stage  of 
life,  the  Hon.  JOHN  MORIN  SCOTT,  Esq.,  Secretary  of  the  State  ; 
lately  one  of  the  members  to  represent  this  State  in  the  Hon. 
Continental  Congress  ;  member  of  the  Hon.  Senate  during  the 
war ;  Brigadier-Gen,  of  the  Militia  ;  and  very  eminent  as  a  Law 
yer  for  many  years  in  this  City.  In  him  his  country  has  lost  a 
steady  Friend,  Society  a  useful  Member,  and  his  Friends  and 
acquaintance  a  sincere  and  affectionate  Companion.  We  hear 
that  his  remains  are  to  be  interred  this  day." 

Two  of  Gen.  Scott's  letters  appear  in  the  text,  one  written  in 
1777,  the  other  in  1778. 


ELIHU  SPENCER,  D.D., 

Hospital  Chaplain,  Continental  Army. 

Rev.  Dr.  Spencer,  of  Trenton,  N.  J.,  was  Chaplain  to  the  New 
York  troops  in  the  French  and  Indian  war,  campaign  of  1758. 
He  was  in  the  same  camp  with,  and  frequently  met,  Chaplains 


194         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

Pomeroy  and  Cleaveland,  already  mentioned.  Like  them,  he  ap 
peared  again  in  the  Revolution.  On  Sept.  18,  1777,  Congress 
voted  to  appoint  Chaplains  for  the  hospitals  in  each  military 
department,  "  at  sixty  dollars  a  month,  three  rations,  and  forage 
for  one  horse."  Dr.  Spencer  received  the  appointment  for  the 
"  Middle  District,"  which  included  New  Jersey,  Oct.  20,  1777. 
How  long  he  served  in  this  position  does  not  appear.  He  was 
born  Feb.  12,  1721  ;  died  Dec.  18,  1784. 

EZRA  STILES, 

President  of  Yale  College,  1778-95. 

As  the  Connecticut  branch  of  the  Cincinnati  Society,  an  asso 
ciation  of  Revolutionary  officers,  elected  Dr.  Stiles  a  member  in 
1784,  in  recognition,  no  doubt,  of  his  high  patriotism  and  con 
fidence  throughout  the  struggle,  we  may  include  his  name  in  this 
connection  for  a  similar  reason — causa  honoris.  The  most  appro 
priate  tribute  to  his  memory  that  can  be  inserted  here  is  that 
delivered  by  Chancellor  Kent  before  the  Phi  Beta  Kappa  Society 
at  Yale  in  1831 — the  Chancellor  having  entered  college  in  1778, 
upon  the  accession  of  Dr.  Stiles  to  the  Presidency  : 

' '  President  Stiles'  zeal  for  civil  and  religious  liberty  was  kindled  at  the  altar 
of  the  English  and  New  England  Puritans,  and  it  was  animating  and  vivid.  A 
more  constant  and  devoted  friend  to  the  Revolution  and  Independence  of  this 
country  never  existed.  He  had  anticipated  it  as  early  as  the  year  1760,  and 
his  whole  soul  was  enlisted  in  favor  of  every  measure  which  led  on  gradually 
to  the  formation  and  establishment  of  the  American  Union.  The  frequent  ap 
peals  which  he  was  accustomed  to  make  to  the  heads  and  hearts  of  his  pupils, 
concerning  the  slippery  paths  of  youth,  the  grave  duties  of  life,  the  responsi 
bilities  of  man,  and  the  perils  and  hopes  and  honors  and  destiny  of  our 
country,  will  never  be  forgotten  by  those  who  heard  them  ;  and  especially  when 
he  came  to  touch,  as  he  often  did,  with  'a  master's  hand  and  prophet's  fire,' 
on  the  bright  vision  of  the  future  prosperity  and  splendor  of  the  United 
States." 

Autograph  on  p.  140.* 

1  Thomas  Fitch,  of  this  class,  son  of  Gov.  Fitch,  class  of  1721,  was  a  Colonel 
of  Fairfield  Co.  Militia.  He  is  mentioned  as  having  hurried  off  companies  to 
reinforce  Washington  in  the  summer  of  1776  ;  and  again  his  regiment  was  with 
Wooster  at  and  beyond  Rye  in  the  following  winter  for  a  short  time.  Whether 
he  went  in  person  on  either  occasion  does  not  appear.  He  was  prominent  in 
his  town  as  a  committeeman  and  representative.  Born  at  Norwalk,  Aug.  12, 
1725  ;  died  there  Jan.  15,  1795. 


Roll  of  Honor.  195 

Class  of  1747. 


OLIVER  WOLCOTT, 

Signer,  Declaration  of  Independence. 
Major -General,  Connecticut  Troops. 

The  elaborate  Wolcott  "  Memorial  "  volume,  edited  by  the  late 
Rev.  Dr.  Samuel  Wolcott,  Class  of  1833,  is  the  authority  for  most 
of  the  facts  in  the  present  sketch  of  Gen.  Oliver  Wolcott  of  the 
Revolution.  It  contains  documents  and  letters  from  his  pen  not 
heretofore  printed. 

Gen.  Wolcott  was  born  at  Windsor,  Conn.,  Dec.  20,  1726,  but 
his  home,  in  after  years,  was  at  Litchfield.  He  served  as  cap 
tain  one  campaign,  1748,  in  the  war  against  the  French  on  the 
Canada  border,  and,  returning,  practised  medicine  for  a  short 
time.  After  1751  he  generally  held  some  public  office.  He  be 
came  successively  sheriff,  representative,  member  of  the  Gover 
nor's  Council,  Probate  Judge,  Judge  of  the  County  Court,  and 
Member  of  Congress.  In  1774  he  was  Colonel  of  the  i7th 
militia  regiment.  After  the  Revolution  he  rose  still  higher, 
becoming  what  his  father,  Roger,  and  his  son,  Oliver,  were  in 
their  time — Governor  of  Connecticut. 

Much  of  the  time  during  the  Revolution  Wolcott  was  in  the 
field  or  attending  Congress.  He  was  a  member  of  the  latter 
body  in  1776,  when  he  signed  the  Declaration  of  Independence. 
His  classmate,  Lyman  Hall,  then  living  in  Georgia,  was  also  one  of 
the  "  signers."  Being  at  home  temporarily  for  his  health,  the  State 
Council  of  Safety  appointed  him,  Aug.  12,  1776,  Brigadier-General 
of  nine  militia  regiments  ordered  to  join  the  army  at  New  York. 
Wolcott  took  the  command,  with  commission  dated  Aug.  i5th, 
and  was  in  the  city  at  the  time  of  the  battle  of  Long  Island.  His 
regiments  being  soon  distributed  in  new  brigades,  he  returned  to 
Connecticut,  and  in  November  took  his  seat  again  in  Congress. 
He  was  with  that  body  when  it  retired  for  safety  from  Philadel 
phia  to  Baltimore  in  December.  Being  at  home  in  the  fall  of 
1777,  he  received  an  urgent  request  from  Gen.  Gates  to  reinforce 
him  with  Conn,  militia.  Wolcott  had  been  appointed  by  the 
Legislature,  Dec.,  1776,  permanent  Brigadier  of  the  Sixth  Militia 
Brigade,  and  as  such  he  called  for  volunteers  to  go  with  him  to 
Gates'  army.  Three  hundred  started  on  horseback  and  reached 


196         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

camp  about  ten  days  before  Burgoyne's  surrender.  One  of  his 
letters  from  that  point  is  given  in  the  text.  From  Feb.  to  July, 
1778,  he  was  again  in  Congress.  In  the  summer  of  1779  he  was 
especially  active  in  obtaining  information  respecting  the  move 
ments  of  the  enemy,  who  were  threatening  to  enter  Connecticut 
through  Westchester  County,  while  Tryon  was  at  New  Haven. 
His  papers,  deposited  in  the  Connecticut  Historical  Society,  con 
tain  several  letters  conveying  minute  intelligence  to  Washington's 
camp  in  regard  to  Clinton's  whereabouts.  He  had  called  out 
the  militia,  and  at  the  same  time  wrote  earnestly  to  Washington 
for  help,  in  view  of  the  enemy's  descent  on  the  coast.  Washing 
ton  replied  :  "  Be  assured,  sir,  that  I  have  felt  much  pain  at  the 
destruction  of  your  towns,  and  had  been  unhappy  that  I  could 
not,  consistent  with  the  general  good,  afford  such  an  aid  of  con 
tinental  troops  as  might  have  prevented  it.  I  hope,  however, 
that  the  late  fortunate  attack  on  Stony  Point  will  tend  to  give  a 
check  to  the  continuance  of  the  ravages  in  your  State."  Some 
time  before  this  Wolcott  had  been  promoted  Major-General  of 
the  militia,  although  the  date  does  not  appear.  In  1780-81  he 
again  went  to  Congress.  In  1786  he  was  elected  Lieut.-Governor 
of  Connecticut,  and  later  held  the  rank  of  Lieut. -General  of  the 
militia.  In  1796-97  he  was  Governor  of  the  State.  His  public 
services  had  thus  been  continuous  and  important  for  many  years, 
and  especially  during  the  Revolution  was  he  active  and  always 
confident  of  ultimate  success.  He  died  at  Litchfield,  Dec.  i,  1797. 
His  autograph  appears  on  page  42,  it  being  a  fac-simile  of  the  one 
appended  to  the  Declaration.1 

Class  of  1748. 

EBENEZER  CLEAVELAND, 

Chaplain,  Massachusetts. 

Younger  brother  of  Chaplain  John  Cleaveland,  class  of  1745. 
His  principal  pastorate  was  at  Gloucester,  Mass.  He  became 

1  Rev.  Chauncey  Graham,  of  this  class,  resided  at  Fishkill,  N.  Y.,  where  he 
had  charge  of  an  academy.  On  Nov.  26,  1776,  he  was  requested  by  the  N.  Y. 
Provincial  Congress  to  take  care  of  sick  soldiers,  as  a  physician  "at  the  Conti 
nental  expense."  He  was  doing  so  as  late  as  Jan.,  1777. 

Writing  to  Gen.  Heath,  Nov.  29,  1776,  Mr.  Graham  says  :  "  If  you  know 
where  my  kinsman  Dr.  Graham  is  you  will  advise  me  in  your  next."  This 
was  probably  Dr.  John  Augustus  Graham,  Class  of  1768,  of  White  Plains,  a 
patriotic  man  whose  house  was  burned  by  the  enemy  after  the  battle  there. 


Roll  of  Honor.  197 

chaplain  of  Col.  Jonathan  Ward's  regiment  from  Massachusetts, 
Jan.  i,  1776,  and  served  to  the  end  of  the  year.  It  was  with 
Washington  at  New  York,  and  engaged  in  part  at  the  battle  of 
Long  Island.  The  chaplain  is  reported  as  being  on  "  furlough  " 
in  October.  The  regiment  was  the  2ist  Continental  Foot,  raised 
for  service  during  1776.  Mr.  Cleaveland  died  July  4,  1805. 

NAPHTALI  DAGGETT,  D.D., 

Ex-President  of  the  College. 
Volunteer. 

President  Daggett  is  identified  with  the  war  on  the  occasion  of 
the  New  Haven  raid,  in  1779,  an  account  of  which  appears  in 
the  text.  His  patriotism  and  courage  are  proverbial.  He  was 
among  the  first  to  start  out  to  meet  the  enemy,  but  soon  fell  into 
their  hands.  After  receiving  much  cruel  treatment  he  was  per 
mitted  to  remain  in  New  Haven  ;  but  the  shock  was  such  that  he 
never  fully  recovered  from  its  effects,  and  his  death  followed, 
Nov.  25,  1780. 

Dr.  Daggett  was  born  at  Attleboro,  Mass.,  Sept.  8,  1727.  His 
brother,  Col.  John  Daggett,  of  that  place,  was  a  man  of  note  and 
an  efficient  militia  officer  in  the  Revolution.  The  Doctor  was 
called  to  the  church  at  Smithtown,  L.  I.,  in  1751,  where  he  re 
mained  until  1755,  when  he  returned  to  the  college  to  fill  the 
new  Livingston  Chair  of  Divinity.  In  1766  he  became  President 
of  the  College,  and  retained  the  position  until  1777.  He  con 
tinued  his  relations  with  the  college,  as  Professor  of  Divinity, 
until  his  death.  His  two  sons,  Henry  and  Ebenezer,  both  gradu 
ates,  entered  the  service.  Dr.  Daggett's  own  account  of  his  ex 
periences  and  capture  has  been  printed  several  times.  It  does 
not  differ  materially  from  Mr.  Goodrich's  description  in  the 
chapter  for  1779-80,  pages  106-8. 


JONATHAN  FITCH, 

Colonel  and  Commissary,  Connecticut. 

Colonel  Fitch  had  been  the  steward  of  the  College  for  several 
years  before  the  war  ;   also  Naval  Officer  at  New  Haven.     He 


198         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

was  Colonel  of  the  2d  militia  regiment.  In  May,  1775,  he  was 
appointed  a  State  Commissary  by  the  Legislature,  and  the  duties 
of  this  office  appear  to  have  engaged  his  attention  most  of  the 
time  during  the  war.  He  was  purchaser  of  goods  and  stores  of 
all  kinds  both  for  State  and  Continental  troops.  One  of  his  public 
notifications  dated  New  Haven,  Nov.  16,  1778,  is  as  follows  : 
"  The  several  Towns  in  the  County  of  New  Haven  are  hereby 
notified  immediately  to  bring  to  me  the  Quota  of  Cloathing  to  be 
furnished  by  them  for  their  soldiers  in  the  Continental  army, 
particularly  the  Blankets,  as  they  are  much  wanted  the  present 
distressing  season  —  Captain  Prentice  having  been  sent  from 
camp  by  General  McDougal  to  forward  the  cloathing  to  the  camp 
as  soon  as  possible.  Jonathan  Fitch,  Commissary."  Col.  Fitch 
was  born  in  Norwalk,  Conn.,  April  12,  1727,  and  died  in  New 
Haven,  Sept.  22,  1793. 


JOHN  HOTCHKISS, 

Volunteer. 

Resident  of  New  Haven  ;  born  Nov.  12,  1731.  He  went  out 
with  the  volunteers  to  resist  the  British  on  the  morning  of 
Tryon's  invasion,  July  5,  1779,  and  was  killed,  it  would  appear, 
at  an  early  hour.  Dr.  Stiles  states  that  he  fell  on  Milford  Hill, 
beyond  West  Bridge,  a  short  time  before  his  classmate,  Dr.  Dag- 
gett,  was  captured. 

JAMES  WADSWORTH, 

Major -General,,  Connecticut  Militia. 

A  good  sketch  of  Gen.  Wadsworth  appears  in  the  history  of 
Durham,  Conn.,  where  he  lived,  and  where  he  was  born  July  6, 
1730.  He  became  a  lawyer  and  also  held  public  office,  such  as 
that  of  Town  Clerk  and  State  representative,  and  on  May  26, 
1778,  was  appointed  Judge  of  the  New  Haven  County  Court. 


Roll  of  Honor.  199 

Upon  the  Lexington  alarm,  Wadsworth,  then  Colonel,  exerted 
himself  in  hurrying  troops  off  to  Boston.  A  letter  of  the  time 
states  that  he  was  in  Wallingford  "  most  of  Sunday,"  April  23, 
1775,  and  had  ordered  twenty  men  from  each  regiment  of  his 
brigade  to  march  the  next  day.  He  also  went  himself,  but 
apparently  not  to  remain  long.  On  June  20,  1776,  he  was  com 
missioned  Brigadier-General  over  seven  State  regiments  raised  to 
reinforce  Washington  at  New  York.  Four  of  these,  as  stated  on 
page  37,  were  commanded  by  graduates.  They  were  engaged  in 
part  or  in  whole  at  the  battle  of  Long  Island,  retreat  from  New 
York,  Harlem  Heights,  and  White  Plains.  Upon  the  death  of 
Gen.  Wooster,  Gen.  Wadsworth,  who  had  been  made  Brigadier  of 
the  Second  Militia  Brigade  in  December,  1776,  was  promoted 
May,  1777,  second  Major-General,  and  as  such  looked  after  the 
militia  during  the  remainder  of  the  war.  In  October,  1777,  he 
was  with  Putnam  on  the  Hudson,  who  endeavored  to  prevent  the 
British  from  forming  a  junction  with  Burgoyne  above.  Several 
of  Gen.  Wadsworth's  letters  to  Gov.  Trumbull,  describing  move 
ments  in  that  quarter,  are  among  the  Trumbull  papers,  Boston. 
In  one  letter  he  proposes  that  David  Bushnell  be  sent  to  blow  up 
the  enemy's  ships  off  Kingston.  Thereafter  he  appears  to  have 
been  active  in  the  State,  at  one  time  being  with  troops  at  New 
London  on  the  occasion  of  an  alarm.  He  is  described  as  "  a 
large,  erect,  military  figure."  His  death  occurred  September  22, 
1817.  James  and  William  Wadsworth,  who  settled  at  Geneseo, 
N.  Y.,  were  his  nephews. 


W*V>J 


Class  of  1 749. 
NATHANIEL  BARTLETT, 


Chaplain,  Connecticut. 


Mr.  Bartlett  acted  as  Chaplain  to  the  troops  quartered  from 
time  to  time  at  or  near  Redding,  Conn.,  where  he  was  settled. 
He  died  Jan.  n,  1810,  aged  eighty-three  years. 


200         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

THOMAS  RUSSELL, 

Surgeon,  Connecticut  Troops. 

He  is  mentioned  in  the  records  as  surgeon  of  Col.  Heman 
Swift's  Connecticut  Regiment,  which  was  on  duty  in  the  Northern 
Department  during  the  latter  half  of  1776.  A  native  of  North 
Guilford,  bom  Oct.  16,  1727.  He  died  in  1803  at  Piermont, 
N.  H.,  where  he  had  settled. 

JOSEPH  STRONG, 

Chaplain,  Connecticut. 

Pastor  at  Simsbury  (Granby),  Conn.  ;  afterwards  at  Williams- 
burg,  Mass.  He  served  as  chaplain  of  Cols.  Chapman's  and 
Pettibone's  militia  regiments  in  Gen.  Wolcott's  command  in 
Aug.-Sept.,  1776,  in  and  around  New  York.  Born,  Coventry, 
Conn.,  March  19,  1729;  died,  Goshen,  Mass.,  Jan.  i,  1803. 

Class  of  1750. 

JOSEPH  PLATT  COOKE, 

Colonel,  Connecticut  Militia. 

Resident  of  Danbury,  Conn.;  born  December  24,  1729.  He 
was  a  man  of  considerable  influence  and  property.  In  1776  he 
was  Colonel  of  the  i6th  militia  regiment,  which  formed  part 
of  Gen.  Wolcott's  force  in  New  York  in  August  and  Septem 
ber,  1776.  At  the  time  the  enemy  captured  the  city,  September 
1 5th,  Col.  Cooke  was  in  Douglas'  Brigade,  stationed  along  Kip's 
Bay,  at  the  foot  of  East  Thirty-Fifth  St.,  which  was  driven  from 
its  position  by  the  short-range  fire  of  the  British  men-of-war.  It 
retreated  in  something  of  a  panic,  and  formed  part  of  the  force 
which  Washington  endeavored  in  vain  to  rally  that  day.  Col. 
Cooke  afterwards  turned  out  against  Tryon  in  the  Danbury  raid, 
and  was  probably  with  Putnam's  force  on  the  Hudson  during  the 
Burgoyne  campaign.  He  died  Feb.  3,  1816,  aged  eighty-seven. 


Roll  of  Honor.  201 

Class  0/1751. 

JUDAH  CHAMPION, 

Chaplain,  Connecticut. 

Pastor  at  Litchfield,  Conn.  He  was  born  at  Haddam,  May  21, 
1724,  and  died  October  8,  1810.  Devotedly  attached  to  the 
cause,  he  is  said  to  have  often  preached  war  sermons.  During 
Burgoyne's  campaign  he  acted  as  Chaplain,  to  a  Connecticut  regi 
ment  probably,  and  took  especial  care  of  the  sick  and  wounded. 

GILES  RUSSELL, 

Colonel,  Continental  A  rmy. 

Colonel  Russell's  record  is  that  of  a  worthy  man  and  experi 
enced  soldier,  who  gave  nearly  twelve  years  of  his  life  to  the  pub 
lic  and  died  in  its  service.  He  came  of  good  stock,  being  grand 
son  of  Rev.  Noadiah  Russell,  one  of  the  founders  of  Yale  College, 
and  son  of  Rev.  Daniel  Russell,  class  of  1724,  of  Rocky  Hill, 
Conn.  The  Colonel  was  born  at  the  latter  place,  November  8, 
1729. 

The  French  and  Indian  war  breaking  out  a  few  years  after  his 
graduation,  Russell  joined  the  Provincial  forces  and  took*  part  in 
various  campaigns  to  the  close.  He  served  throughout  with  the 
Rhode  Island  quota,  doubtless  having  friends  in  that  colony,  and 
received  several  promotions.  Appointed  first  as  Ensign  Septem 
ber,  1756,  he  was  made  Lieutenant,  February,  1756,  Adjutant  in 
March,  1758,  and  again  in  February,  1759  (when  the  regiment 
was  commanded  by  Col.  Henry  Babcock,  of  the  class  of  1752), 
and  Captain,  1760  to  1763.  He  served  under  Johnson,  Loudoun, 
Abercrombie,  and  Amherst.  In  the  attack  upon  Ticonderoga. 
July  8,  1758,  he  was  wounded,  but  was  present  again,  it  would 
appear,  in  the  following  year,  at  the  recovery  of  Crown  Point. 
He  also  took  part  in  the  expedition  against  Havanna  in  1762, 
where  he  lost  half  his  company  from  the  severities  of  the  climate. 

Returning  to  Connecticut,  Russell  settled  at  Stonington  about 
the  time  of  the  peace,  1763-64,  and  practised  law  until  the  Rev 
olution.  In  that  crisis,  he  again  stepped  forward  and  joined  the 
common  cause.  The  Connecticut  Assembly  appointed  him 
Major  of  Col.  Selden's  State  Regiment,  June  20,  1776,  and  later 


202         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

July  2,  Lieutenant-Colonel  of  Sage's  Regiment,  with  which  he 
served  in  Washington's  army  in  and  around  New  York,  until  the 
close  of  the  year.  His  brigade  was  present  in  the  Long  Island 
retreat,  at  Kip's  Bay,  and  the  battle  of  White  Plains.  Upon  the 
reorganization  of  the  army,  he  was  appointed,  Jan.  i,  1777, 
Lieutenant-Colonel  of  the  Eighth  Connecticut  Continental  Line, 
Col.  Chandler's  (Y.  C.  1759),  which  fought  at  the  battle  of  Ger- 
mantown  and  wintered  at  Valley  Forge,  1777-78.  In  Nov. 

1777,  he  was  assigned  to  relieve  Col.  Smith,  of  Maryland,  who 
had  been  bravely  defending  Mud  Island  Fort  below  Philadelphia, 
but  he  requested  to  be  recalled  on  account  of  illness.     Gen.  Var- 
num,  his  Brigadier,   speaks  of  him   at  the  time  as    "  an  amiable, 
sensible  man,  and  an  excellent  officer,  but  exhausted  by  fatigue 
and  totally  destitute  of  health."     Chandler  resigning  at  Valley 
Forge,   Russell  was  promoted  Colonel  in  his  place,   March   13, 

1778.  He  was  present  at  Monmouth,  as  stated  on  p.  90,  being  in 
command  of  his  brigade  part  of  the  time,  and  was  again  with  his 
regiment  when  ordered  to  march  into  Connecticut  at  the  time  of 
Tryon's  raid,  July,  1779.     But  here  again  his  old  wound  troubled 
him  and  he  stopped  at  Danbury.      The  only  letter  from  his  pen 
that  can  be  found  is  dated  from  that  place  July  i7th.    He  says  to 
Heath  :*  "  My  leg  is  in  such  a  condition  that  I  must  beg  Leave  to 
stay  here  a  few   Days  under  the  care  of  Doctor  Turner,   who 
I  hope  will  soon  patch  it  up,  so  that  I  may  Join  the  Troops."   He 
seems,  however,  to  have  failed  after  this  as  he  died  at  Danbury, 
Oct.  28th,  following.    Respecting  his  death  and  his  successor,  see 
p.  no.     The  following  obituary  notice  of  the  Colonel  appears  in 
the  New  London  Gazette,  Nov.  10,  1779  : 

"...  He  received  an  early  and  liberal  education  at  Yale  College, 
New  Haven  :  The  profitable  Improvement  he  made  of  those  Advantages  was 
conspicuously  exemplified  in  his  Life  and  conversation  :  The  brightness  of 
his  Parts,  the  solidity  of  his  Judgment,  and  the  candor  and  generosity  of  his 
Temper,  distinguished  him  as  the  Scholar  and  Philosopher.  Whenever  the 
Safety  of  his  Country  demanded  his  Assistance,  he  readily  entered  into  the 
most  active  Posts  of  Life  and  faced  the  greatest  Dangers,  Fatigues,  and  Dis 
tress  with  a  Constancy  and  firmness  of  Mind,  which  plainly  showed  that  the  in 
terest  of  his  Country  was  an  object  which  claimed  his  highest  attention.  He 
served  as  an  officer  during  the  whole  term  of  the  late  war,  to  Universal  accept 
ance,  in  which  war  he  received  Wounds,  which  might  be  judged,  had  rendered 
him  unfit, in  a  great  measure  for  Action;  but  notwithstanding,  at  the  Commence- 


Roll  of  Honor.  203 

ment  of  the  present,  he  plainly  shewed  that  that  martial  Ardour  which  had 
fired  his  Breast  heretofore,  was  not  extinguished,  but  blazed  with  additional 
Warmth  ;  and  upon  Requisition  made,  chearfully  stept  forth  in  Defence  of  his 
injured  Country  ;  and  from  June,  1776,  to  the  Time  of  his  Death,  attended 
Duty  in  the  Field  almost  constantly,  having  visited  his  Family  but  few  times, 
and  those  very  short.  .  .  .  He  often  manifested  the  hightest  Sense,  with 
firm  dependence  on,  and  reverential  Fear  of,  that  Almighty  Being,  who 
governs  universal  Nature  uncontroul'd.  In  private  Life,  he  was  happily 
possessed  of  those  amiable  Qualities  requisite  for  forming  domestic  Peace,  con 
jugal  Felicity,  and  Paternal  love.  He  has  left  a  mournful  widow,  in  a  very  low 
and  debilitated  state,  and  an  affectionate  and  only  Daughter  to  lament  his 
Death." 


/ 


COTTON  MATHER  SMITH, 

Chaplain,  Connecticut. 

Pastor  at  Sharon,  Conn.;  born  at  Suffield,  Oct.  26,  1731.  He 
was  appointed  Chaplain  of  Col.  Benjamin  Hinman's  Connecticut 
State  Regiment,  April,  1775,  which  served  for  that  year  at  Ticon- 
deroga  and  in  Canada  under  Montgomery  and  Wooster.  He  died 
Nov.  27,  1806.' 

Class  of  1752. 

HENRY  BABCOCK, 

Colonel,  Rhode  Island  Brigade. 

Eldest  son  of  Dr.  Joshua  Babcock,  class  of  1724,  whose  name 
appears  at  the  head  of  this  roll.  In  recollections  of  the  Babcocks 
published  in  the  "  History  of  the  Narragansett  Church,"  Dr. 
Wheaton  says  that  Henry  "  was  a  brilliant  and  extraordinary  man, 
formed  by  nature  and  education  to  be  the  flower  of  his  family  and 
an  ornament  to  the  country  which  gave  him  birth." 

1  Col.  Thomas  Belden,  of  this  class,  is  mentioned  in  the  sketch  of  his  son, 
E.  P.  Belden,  class  of  1775. 


204         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

The  Colonel  was  born  at  Westerly,  R.  I.,  April  28,  1736.  He 
graduated  in  his  seventeenth  year  at  the  head  of  his  class.  Three 
years  later  he  took  the  field  in  the  French  and  Indian  war,  being 
appointed,  March,  1755,  Captain  in  the  R.  I.  Provincial  Regi 
ment.  In  August,  1756,  he  was  promoted  Major,  a  year  later 
Lieut-Colonel,  and  in  May,  1758,  full  Colonel.  He  was  then 
but  twenty-two  years  old.  In  the  attack  upon  Ticonderoga, 
July  8,  1758,  his  regiment  lost  no  men  killed  and  wounded, 
and  he  was  wounded  himself  in  the  knee.  He  served  five 
campaigns  with  reputation.  At  the  close  of  the  last  one,  Gen. 
Amherst  wrote  to  Gov.  Hopkins  of  R.  I.  (in  Force,  4th  ser., 
vol.  vi.)  :  "  Whereas  Col.  Babcock  has  throughout  the  whole 
campaign  continually  manifested  his  great  zeal  for  the  pub- 
lick  service,  I  should  not  do  him  justice,  were  I  to  omit  giving 
him  this  publick  testimony  of  it,  and  designing  you  to  return  him 
my  particular  thanks  for  the  same."  When  the  Revolution  broke 
out  he  served  as  a  volunteer  at  the  Boston  camps  for  a  time,  put 
ting  up,  apparently,  at  Gen.  Putnam's  head-quarters.  He  was 
there  in  the  fall  of  1775,  and  on  Dec.  i,  Putnam  wrote  to  Wash 
ington,  recommending  him  for  the  position  of  Brigadier-General, 
as  follows  :  "  I  have  been  upon  service  with  him  several  cam 
paigns  the  last  war,  and  have  seen  him  in  action  behave  with 
great  spirit  and  fortitude,  when  he  had  the  command  of  a  regi 
ment.  He  has  been  very  serviceable  in  assisting  me  in  quelling  a 
mutiny,  and  bringing  back  a  number  of  deserters.  ...  I 
know  of  no  man  who  will  fill  the  vacancy  with  more  honour  than 
the  gentleman  above  named."  (Force.)  This  recommendation, 
however,  was  not  acted  upon,  and  when  he  returned  home,  he  was 
appointed  Colonel  of  R.  I.  Militia,  Jan.,  1776,  and  in  March, 
Colonel-Commandant  of  the  R.  I.  Colony  Brigade.  His  orders 
to  his  command  are  noticed  on  pp.  33-4,  as  well  as  his  success  in 
keeping  off  the  enemy's  men-of-war.  It  appears  that  he  was  not 
in  good  health  and  that  his  conduct  at  times  required  his  re 
moval  from  command,  which  was  voted  by  the  Assembly  in  May 
following.  Not  having  "  the  perfect  use  of  his  reason  "  was  the 
ground  assigned.  Col.  Babcock  afterwards  lived  at  Stonington, 
Conn.,  where  he  died  Oct.  7,  1800.  Gen.  Saltonstall  says  of  him 
in  1775  :  "  If  he  is  in  perfect  health,  he  is  undoubtedly  at  such 
time  a  gallant  soldier."  One  of  his  MSS.  letters  is  to  be  found  in 


Roll  of  Honor. 


205 


the  "  Gates  "  papers,  N.  Y.  Hist.  Soc.,  in  which  he  congratulates 
that  General  on  the  capture  of  Burgoyne.  The  "  Trumbull " 
papers  also  contain  one  or  two  of  his  letters,  as  well  as  the  pub 
lished  R.  I.  Colonial  Records. 


JAMES  BABCOCK, 

Lieutenant-Colonel,  Rhode  Island. 

Of  Westerly,  R.  I.,  where  he  was  born,  Nov.  i,  1734.  He  was 
half-brother  to  Dr.  Joshua  Babcock.  In  May,  1775,  he  was  ap 
pointed  Lieut. -Colonel  of  Varnum's  R.  I.  regiment,  which  was  a 
part  of  the  "  Army  of  Observation  "  which  went  from  that  colony 
to  the  siege  of  Boston.  He  was  in  camp  there  under  Gen.  Greene, 
probably  to  the  close  of  the  year.  In  1776  he  was  a  member  of 
the  R.  I.  Assembly,  and  in  1777  is  mentioned  as  engaged  in  send 
ing  recruits  to  the  Army.  He  died  in  1781. 


GOLD  SELLECK  SILLIMAN, 

Brigadier-General,  Connecticut  Militia. 

General  Silliman  was  father  and  grandfather,  respectively,  of 
Profs.  Benjamin  Silliman,  Senior  and  Junior,  who  were  so  long 
associated  with  the  College.  His  own  father  was  Judge  Ebenezer 
Silliman,  class  of  1727,  of  Fairneld,  Conn.,  where  the  General  was 
born,  May  7,  1732.  In  1754  he  married  Martha,  daughter  of  Deo- 
date  Davenport,  of  East  Haven,  and  upon  her  death  in  1774,  mar 
ried  Mrs.  Mary  Noyes,  widow  of  Rev.  John  Noyes,  of  New  Haven. 

Studying  law,  he  became  King's  Attorney  in  1771,  and  held 
that  office  when  the  Revolution  opened.  He  was  a  member  of 
the  Town  Committee  of  Correspondence,  and  at  the  April-May 
session  of  the  Legislature,  1775,  was  appointed  Colonel  of  the  4th 
regiment  of  militia.  In  March,  1776,  troops  being  needed  to  go 


2o6         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

on  with  the  fortification  and  defence  of  New  York,  Col.  Silliman 
was  ordered  to  that  point  by  the  Governor  and  Council  with  a 
regiment  specially  organized  for  the  purpose.  It  remained  there 
during  the  spring.  Hardly  had  he  returned  home,  when  he  was 
reappointed,  in  May,  Colonel  of  one  of  the  six  regiments  raised 
to  reinforce  Washington  for  the  New  York  campaign.  From  that 
date  to  the  close  of  the  year  he  was  actively  engaged,  taking  part 
in  the  movements  on  Long  Island,  the  retreat  to  and  from  New 
York,  the  fortification  of  Washington  Heights,  and  the  battle  of 
White  Plains.  His  letters  from  the  field  are  quoted  and  referred 
to  in  the  text,  pp.  45,  51.  In  the  meantime,  in  June,  1776,  he  had 
been  transferred  from  the  4th  militia  to  the  command  of  the  first 
of  the  five  regiments  of  Light  Horse  ordered  for  State  service. 
Retaining  this  command  during  the  contest,  he  was  also  promoted, 
in  Dec.,  1776,  Brigadier-General  of  the  4th  brigade  of  militia,  and 
from  that  time  to  the  close  of  the  war  was  entrusted  with  the  de 
fence  of  the  western  coast  of  the  State.  Among  other  occasions, 
he  rendered  good  service  during  Tryon's  Danbury  raid.  In  1777 
he  took  the  field  twice  outside  of  the  State  ;  once  in  Dec.,  when 
Putnam  made  some  demonstration  with  Meigs'  regiment  towards 
King's  Bridge,  and  again  in  Sept. -Oct.,  during  Burgoyne's  cam 
paign,  when  he  led  a  large  body  of  militia  to  Peekskill  on  the 
Hudson  to  reinforce  Putnam.  His  reference  to  the  surrender 
appears  on  p.  81.  On  p.  100  his  capture  by  the  Long  Island 
Tories  and  subsequent  exchange  for  Judge  Jones  are  mentioned, 
and  again,  on  p.  144,  one  of  his  letters,  giving  warning  of  the  ap 
proach  of  a  fleet  along  the  Sound,  is  given  in  full.  His  activity 
and  vigilance  were  conspicuous  up  to  the  last  moment. 

Upon  the  return  of  peace,  Gen.  Silliman  resumed  his  profession 
of  law,  and  was  appointed  State  Attorney  for  Fairfield  County. 
He  died  July  21,  1790,  aged  fifty-eight  years.  Several  of  his 
letters,  as  stated,  are  published  in  Vol.  III.,  "  L.  I.  Historical  Soc. 
Memoirs,"  and  extracts  are  quoted  in  Cothren's  "  Woodbury  " 
(chapter  on  the  Revolution).  Judge  Jones'  "  Loyalist  History  of 
the  Revolution,"  and  "  Observations  "  on  the  same  also  contain 
references  and  letters. 


/ 


Roll  of  Honor.  207 

Class  0/1754. 

JOSHUA  PORTER, 

Lieutenant-Colonel,  Connecticut  Militia. 

A  native  of  Lebanon,  Conn.,  where  he  was  born,  June  26,  1730. 
After  graduation  he  taught  school  in  North  Carolina  for  a  year, 
and  in  1757  settled  as  a  physician  at  Salisbury.  There  he  lived 
and  practised  his  profession  for  forty  years.  He  also  took  part  in 
public  affairs,  being  elected  town  representative  for  more  than 
forty  sessions  of  the  Assembly,  and  sitting  as  Judge  of  Probate 
for  thirty-seven  years.  He  served  on  several  important  com 
mittees  during  the  war,  and  in  March,  1776,  received  the  respon 
sible  appointment  of  superintendent  of  the  State  iron  works  or 
furnace  at  Salisbury  for  casting  cannon  and  making  ammunition. 
He  was  one  of  eight  or  ten  individuals  who  advanced  money  for 
the  expedition  to  capture  Ticonderoga,  May,  1775,  and  also  went 
there  himself  to  report  upon  the  situation.  In  1774  he  was  ap 
pointed  Lieut.-Colonel  of  the  i7th  regiment  of  militia,  and  on  two 
or  three  occasions  during  the  contest  performed  tours  of  duty 
outside  of  the  State.  He  turned  out  at  the  Danbury  raid,  April, 
1777,  and  again  in  the  Burgoyne  campaign.  In  his  journal, 
printed  in  the  Genealogy  of  his  family,  he  says  :  "  I  com 
manded  a  regiment  at  Peekskill,  six  weeks  at  ye  town  of  Dan- 
bury,  being  burnt,  and  likewise  commanded  a  regiment  at  the 
capture  of  Gen.  Burgoyne  and  army,  and  was  in  ye  battles  in  ye 
year  1777."  At  Saratoga  he  was  evidently  with  one  of  the  two 
Connecticut  regiments,  made  up  of  details  from  various  militia 
regiments,  and  assigned  to  Gen.  Poor's  brigade.  They  were 
known  as  Cook's  and  Latimer's,  and  behaved  remarkably  well, 
especially  in  the  hot  engagement  of  Freeman's  Farm,  Sept. 
Col.  Porter  died  at  Salisbury,  April  2,  1825,  aged  ninety-five. 


ELISHA  SILL, 

Surgeon,  Connecticut  Troops. 

Physician  at  Goshen,  Conn.     Born  at   Lyme,  April  6,  1730. 
He  is  mentioned  in  the  Sill  and  Hyde  Genealogies  as  having 


2o8         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

been  surgeon  of  Wolcott's  brigade  or  volunteer  body,  which  rein 
forced  Gates  a  short  time  before  Burgoyne's  surrender.  He  was 
one  of  a  committee  of  doctors  appointed  by  the  Legislature  in 
Oct.,  1776,  "to  examine  all  persons  in  this  State  that  were  offered 
to  serve  as  surgeons  or  surgeon's  mates  in  the  Continental  army 
or  navy."  He  died  at  Goshen  in  1808. 


Class  0 
DAVID  SANFORD, 


Chaplain,  Massachusetts. 


Pastor  at  Medway,  Mass.;  born  December  n,  1739.  In 
Sprague's  "  Annals  "  he  is  mentioned  as  having  served  for  a 
short  time  as  Chaplain,  "  an  office  for  which  his  natural  strength 
of  character  and  fine  portly  bearing,  to  say  nothing  of  his  ardent 
patriotism,  admirably  qualified  him."  He  died  April  7,  iSio.1 

THOMAS  SEYMOUR, 

Lieutenant-Colonel,  Connecticut  Horse. 

Member  of  the  well-known  Hartford  family  of  Seymours,  and 
prominent  in  public  affairs  ;  born  March  13,  1735.  His  father 
was  Thomas  Seymour,  of  the  class  of  1724.  Col.  Seymour's 
duties  during  the  war  were  almost  entirely  of  a  civil  nature  as  a 
representative  and  member  of  the  Committee  on  the  Pay  Table. 
Part  of  the  time  he  was  one  of  the  State  Committee  of  Safety.  In 
June,  1776,  the  Assembly  appointed  him  Lieut.  -Colonel  of  the 
first  State  Regiment  of  Light  Horse  (Col.  Silliman's),  and  early 
in  July  he  was  ordered  to  New  York  to  reinforce  Washington 
until  Wadsworth's  new  regiments  reported.  He  went  down  with 
about  five  hundred  men,  assembled  hastily,  and  was  well  received  ; 
but  a  dispute  arose  as  to  whether  horsemen  could  be  called  upon 
to  do  infantry  guard  duty,  as  Washington  wished,  and  the  command 
was  dismissed  and  returned  home.  Reflections  being  cast  upon  the 
conduct  and  patriotism  of  his  men,  Col.  Seymour,  on  reaching 
Hartford,  wrote  a  full  explanation  to  Gov.  Trumbull,  which  ap- 

1  Rev.  Thomas  Brooks,  of  Brookfield,  Conn.,  and  Rev.  Ephraim  Stark 
weather,  of  Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  of  this  class,  are  incidentally  mentioned  as  having 
been  chaplains.  The  authority  does  not  appear. 


Roll  of  Honor. 


209 


pears  in  Force's  Archives,  Vol.  L,  Fifth  Series,  p.  513.  The  Colo 
nel  was  elected  first  Mayor  of  Hartford  after  its  incorporation  as 
a  city.  Two  of  his  sons,  Thomas  and  William,  graduates,  were 
in  the  service.  His  death  occurred  July  30,  1829. 


Class  of  1/56. 


TIMOTHY  DANIELSON, 

Brigadier-General,  Massachusetts  Militia. 

Resident  of  the  town  of  Brimfield,  Mass.,  where  he  was  born 
in  1733.  A  man  of  considerable  distinction  in  Hampshire 
County  socially  and  politically.  Personally  he  is  described  in 
Holland's  Western  Massachusetts  as  "a  Herculean  giant."  He 
was  a  delegate  in  the  Provincial  Congress  in  the  stirring  years 
of  1774-75.  During  and  after  the  war  he  was  representative  and 
State  Senator.  In  May,  1775,  he  was  commissioned  Colonel  of 
the  Hampshire  Militia  regiment,  and  served  with  it  at  the  siege 
of  Boston.  Jan.  30,  1776,  he  was  appointed  Brigadier-General 
for  his  county,  and  retained  that  rank  through  the  war.  He  also 
became  Chief-Justice  of  his  County  Court.  His  death  occurred 
at  Brimfield  Sept.  16,  1791. 


210         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 


JOHN  STORKS, 


Chaplain,  Connecticut. 


Mr.  Storrs  had  been  pastor  at  Southold,  L.  I.,  before  the  war, 
but  his  church  broke  up  in  consequence  of  hostilities,  and  he  re 
turned  to  Mansfield,  Conn.,  his  native  place.  During  this  inter 
val  he  served  as  Chaplain  of  Col.  Fisher  Gay's  regiment  in 
Wadsworth's  Brigade  in  the  campaign  of  1776  around  New  York. 
He  is  reported  as  being  on  "  furlough  "  in  October.  He  died  in 
1799. 


Class  of  1757. 


JABEZ  BOWEN, 


Deputy-Governor,  Rhode  Island. 
Colonel,  State  Militia. 


Gov.  Bowen  is  identified  with  Providence,  R.  I.  He  was  a 
leading  member  of  the  State  Assembly,  and  appears  on  important 
committees  during  the  war.  On  May  6,  1778,  he  was  elected 
Deputy-Governor  of  Rhode  Island,  and  on  Feb.  26,  1781,  was  ap 
pointed  Chief-Justice.  At  the  May  session  of  the  Assembly, 
1776,  he  was  appointed  Colonel  of  the  first  militia  regiment  of 
Providence  County,  and  served  actively  with  it,  being  in  camp  at 
Pawtuxet  in  February  1777,  when  the  enemy's  vessels  were 
threatening  the  coast ;  and  again,  later  in  the  year,  he  writes  from 
Providence,  Oct.  3,  1777  :  "  Major  General  Spencer  having  this 
morning  removed  his  Quarters  to  Rowland's  Ferry,  the  command 
at  this  post  devolves  on  me  "  (Trumbull  Papers,  Boston).  He 
appears  to  have  been  active  also  in  providing  for  the  wants  of  the 
French  troops  after  they  arrived  at  Newport  in  1780.  Gov. 
Bowen  was  born  June  13,  1739,  an<^  died  about  May  7,  1815. 


Roll  of  Honor. 


21  I 


OLIVER  NOBLE, 


Chaplain,  Massachusetts. 


Pastor  at  Newberry,  Mass.  He  served  as  Chaplain  of  Col. 
Little's  Mass,  regiment  at  the  siege  of  Boston  in  1775,  and  after 
Jan.  i,  1776,  appears  as  Chaplain  both  for  Little's  and  Hitch 
cock's  R.  I.  Regiment,  which  was  in  the  same  brigade.  He  may 
have  accompanied  these  regiments  to  New  York  in  the  spring  of 
1776.  He  died  in  1792. 


NATHANIEL  WEBB, 


Captain,  Continental  Army. 


Of  Windham,  Conn.,  where  he  was  born  Aug.  5,  1737.  He 
first  appears  in  the  service  with  the  organization  of  the  Continen 
tal  Line  in  1777.  He  was  commisioned,  Jan.  i,  Captain  in  Col. 
Durkee's  Fourth  Connecticut,  which  in  the  spring  went  into  camp 
at  Peekskill.  The  regiment  joined  Washington's  army  in  Penn 
sylvania  in  September,  and  fought  at  the  battle  of  Germantown. 
It  wintered  at  Valley  Forge,  and  on  June  29,  1778,  was  closely 
engaged  in  Varnum's  brigade  at  Monmouth.  Captain  Webb,  no 
doubt,  was  with  his  regiment  in  all  these  movements.  In  the 
summer  of  1779  he  was  assigned  to  Wayne's  Light  Infantry  Corps 
after  the  capture  of  Stony  Point.  From  this  time  he  remained 
generally  in  the  Highlands  until  Jan.  i,  1781,  when,  upon  the 
consolidation  of  regiments  he  retired  from  the  army.  In  October, 
1782,  he  wrote  to  Gov.  Trumbull  offering  his  services  as  Captain 
of  a  company  to  be  stationed  at  New  London,  but  nothing  came 
of  this.  He  died  Jan.  25,  1814. 


212         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

Class  0/1758. 


JOHN  ASHLEY,  JR., 

Colonel,  Massachusetts  Militia. 

Son  of  Judge  John  Ashley,  class  of  1730,  who  was  one  of  the 
early  settlers  and  lawyers  of  Sheffield,  Mass.  The  Judge  was 
himself  identified  with  the  early  patriotic  movement,  having  pre 
sided  at  the  county  convention  in  1774,  referred  to  on  page  4. 
Before  the  war  he  was  Colonel  of  the  South  Berkshire  regiment, 
with  his  son  as  Major. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  about  the  year  1736.  He 
was  commissioned  Colonel  of  the  First  Berkshire  Militia  Regi 
ment  April  4,  1777  (Mass.  State  Archives),  evidently  succeeding 
his  classmate,  Col.  Mark  Hopkins,  who  died  in  October,  1776. 
He  marched  his  regiment  to  the  Hudson  in  July,  after  the  evacu 
ation  of  Ticonderoga,  and  appears,  from  certain  references,  to 
have  been  at  Bennington  and  with  the  Massachusetts  forces  in 
the  Burgoyne  campaign.  He  would  naturally  turn  out  at  that 
crisis.  It  is  probable,  also,  that  he  served  on  other  occasions  in 
that  quarter.  After  the  war  Col.  Ashley  took  a  prominent  part 
in  the  suppression  of  Shay's  rebellion.  He  had  a  smart  skirmish 
with  a  party  in  Sheffield,  on  Feb.  27,  1787,  and  scattered  them. 
Gen.  Lincoln,  learning  of  his  movements,  wrote  him  :  "  Your  suc 
cesses  must  be  important,  as  they  will  teach  these  deluded 
wretches  that  they  cannot  march  unchecked  by  the  good  citizens, 
or  spread  depredations  among  them  with  impunity."  In  1788 
he  was  made  Brigadier  of  the  militia,  and  in  1789  succeeded  Gen. 
Paterson,  class  of  1762,  as  Major-General  of  the  Ninth  Division. 
At  various  intervals  from  1782  to  his  death,  he  was  a  member  of 
the  Legislature.  He  died  suddenly  on  the  morning  of  Nov.  5, 
1799,  in  the  sixty-third  year  of  his  age,  his  father  surviving  him 
until  1802. 


t 


1  The  Massachusetts  Centinel  f  or  March  27,  1787,  says  :  "  \oung  Burghurdt, 
a  student  of  Yale  College  [class  of  1787],  who  was  wounded  when  pursuing  the 
insurgents  in  their  retreat  after  the  action  with  Col.  Ashley  at  Sheffield,  is 
likely  to  recover,  though  his  wound  was  supposed  to  be  dangerous." 

Elisha  Lee,  class  of  1777,  resident  of  Great  Barrington,  was  Aid-de-camp  on 
Gen.  Ashley's  staff  in  1790. 


Roll  of  Honor.  213 

BENJAMIN  BOARDMAN, 

Chaplain,  Connecticut. 

Pastor  at  Middle  Haddam,  Conn.,  until  1783,  and  then  at  Hart 
ford.  He  was  born  at  Sandisfield,  Mass.,  in  1732.  He  is  men 
tioned  as  Chaplain  of  Connecticut  troops  for  a  time  at  the  Boston 
siege  in  1775.  In  the  following  year  he  became  Chaplain  of  Col. 
Durkee's  Connecticut  regiment  in  Washington's  army,  and  was 
with  it  at  its  station  at  Paulus  Hook,  now  Jersey  City,  in  Sept. 
when  the  enemy  took  New  York.  A  letter  from  his  pen  describ 
ing  the  events  of  the  time  appears  in  Force's  Archives.  He  died 
at  Hartford,  Feb.  8,  1802.' 

PHILIP  BURR  BRADLEY, 

Colonel,  Continental  Army. 

Col.  Bradley  was  born  in  Greenfield  Parish,  Fairfield,  Conn., 
March,  26,  1738,  but  became  a  resident  of  Ridgefield.  He  was  a 
merchant,  and  influential  both  socially  and  politically.  On  June 
20, 1776,  he  received  a  commission  as  Colonel  of  one  of  the  State 
regiments  comprising  Wadsworth's  brigade  in  Washington's  army 
at  New  York,  and  served  in  that  vicinity  to  the  close  of  the  year. 
His  own  regiment  was  posted  most  of  the  time  at  Bergen  Heights, 
New  Jersey,  and  afterwards  at  Forts  Lee  and  Washington.  At 
the  fall  of  the  latter  place  in  November,  the  greater  part  of  his 
command  was  captured  by  the  enemy.  The  Colonel  was  on  the 
sick  list  and  had  been  taken  home  on  a  litter  only  a  few  days 
before.  Upon  the  formation  of  the  new  army,  Bradley  was  Com 
missioned  Colonel  of  the  Fifth  Connecticut  Continental  Line,  Jan. 
i,  1777,  and  served  with  it  in  the  field  for  four  years.  When  the 
British  returned  through  Ridgefield  from  the  Danbury  raid  in 
April,  1777,  they  ransacked  the  Colonel's  house,  destroying  furni 
ture  and  valuables.  The  Colonel  himself,  who  was  at  home  re 
cruiting  his  regiment,  turned  out  and  engaged  the  enemy  in  the 
skirmish  at  that  place  ;  he  also  distributed  one  hundred  and  thirty 
gallons  of  rum  from  his  own  stores  to  the  fatigued  militia,  for 
which  losses  the  Assembly  afterwards  afforded  him  relief.  Some 

1  Rev.  Benjamin  Wildman,  of  this  class,  pastor  at  Southbury,  Conn.,  is 
referred  to  in  the  history  of  Woodbury  as  having  been  Chaplain  for  a  short 
time. 


214         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

of  the  wounded  were  cared  for  in  his  house.  In  the  fall  of  1777, 
Bradley's  regiment  joined  Washington  in  Pennsylvania  and 
fought  at  Germantown  where  it  sustained  some  loss  ;  then 
wintered  at  Valley  Forge,  1777-78.  In  June,  1778,  it  was  at 
Monmouth,  and  remained  thereafter  with  the  main  army  on  the 
Hudson  in  New  Jersey  and  on  the  Connecticut  border.  The 
Colonel  frequently  presided  at  Courts-Martial  and  occasionally 
commanded  his  brigade.  He  retired  from  the  service  on  the 
reduction  of  the  regiments,  Jan.  i,  1781.  He  was  a  member 
of  the  Cincinnati  Soc.,  Judge  of  Fairfield  County  Court  after  the 
war,  and  in  Sept,,  1789,  was  appointed  first  U.  S.  Marshal  of  that 
District.  As  a  member  of  the  Assembly  he  served  seven  years  be 
fore  the  war  and  eleven  after.  He  died  at  Ridgefield,  Jan.  4,  1821. 


ISRAEL  DICKINSON, 

Captain,  Massachusetts  Volunteers. 

Of  Pittsfield,  Mass.  He  is  supposed  to  have  been  born  at  Hat- 
field  in  1735.  This  reference  is  made  to  him  in  Smith's  "  History 
of  Pittsfield,"  Vol.  I.,  p.  180  :  "  In  college  he  was  the  classmate 
and  chum  of  Israel  Stoddard  ;  and  both  were  the  friends  of 
Woodbridge  Little,  who  was  two  classes  below  them.  This  early 
college  intimacy  led  to  the  settlement  of  the  chums,  and  soon 
after,  of  Little,  upon  three  adjoining  estates  in  a  pleasant  section 
of  Pittsfield.  And  there  the  ante-revolutionary  troubles  found 
them  in  the  enjoyment  of  cultivated  and  harmonious  intercourse, 
interchanging  reminiscences  of  college  life,  and,  as  the  books 
preserved  by  their  descendants  prove,  indulging  and  cherishing 
their  taste  for  intellectual  pleasures.  Nothing  remains  to  show 


Roll  of  Honor. 


2I5 


\vhen  this  delightful  union  was  interrupted  by  the  political  differ 
ences  which  estranged  the  friends,  if  they  were  estranged  ;  but 
immediately  after  the  Lexington  fight,  when  Stoddard  and  Little 
were  taking  refuge  in  New  York  from  the  rage  of  the  people, 
we  find  Israel  Dickinson  prominent  in  the  military  operations 
of  the  patriots."  Stoddard  and  Little,  however,  appear  to 
have  accepted  the  Revolution  later,  as  their  names  are  on  the 
list  of  volunteers  marching  from  Pittsfield  to  Bennington  in 

1777- 

Captain  Dickinson  joined  the  party  that  captured  Ticonderoga 
in  May,  1775,  and  distinguished  himself  there.  See  p.  28.  He 
appears  to  have  been  active  also  in  1777,  and  marched  to  the 
Bennington  field  at  the  first  alarm.  He  may  have  been  at  Saratoga, 
but  we  have  no  further  mention  of  him  after  August  beyond  the 
fact  of  his  death,  which  the  town  records  show  to  have  occurred 
Nov.  1 8,  1777,  from  bilious  fever. 


MARK  HOPKINS, 

Colonel,  Massachusetts  Troops. 

Colonel  Hopkins  was  one  of  three  brothers  who  graduated  at 
the  college,  and  who  became  men  of  more  or  less  note  in  their 
day.  Their  father  was  Tiomthy  Hopkins,  of  Waterbury,  Conn. 
The  eldest  son,  Samuel,  of  the  class  of  1741,  was  afterwards  the 
distinguished  theologian  of  Newport,  R.  I.  Daniel,  of  the  class 
of  1758,  settled  as  a  preacher  at  Salem,  Mass.1  Mark,  of  the 
same  class,  became  a  leading  lawyer  at  Great  Barrington,  Mass. 
He  was  born  at  Waterbury,  Sept.  13,  1739. 

In  common  with  other  graduates  in  Berkshire  County,  Hop- 

1  In  Sprague's  "Annals"  the  following  facts  appear  respecting  Rev.  Dr. 
Daniel  Hopkins  :  "  In  1775,  when  the  Revolutionary  war  broke  out  and  the 
situation  of  the  country  required  their  wisest  counsels  and  best  measures,  Mr. 
Hopkins  was  elected  a  member  of  the  Provincial  Congress  [of  Mass.]  ;  and  in 
that  responsible  position  he  displayed  great  wisdom  and  vigor  of  mind  as  well 
as  an  enlightened  and  ardent  patriotism.  In  1778  he  was  elected  a  member  of 
the  Council  of  the  Conventional  Government,  and  in  both  offices  he  served  his 
country  with  great  dignity,  fidelity,  and  efficiency." 


216         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

kins  took  an  active  part  in  Revolutionary  affairs.  When  the 
County  Convention  met  in  July,  1774,  he  was  placed  upon  the 
committee  to  draw  up  resolutions  expressing  its  views  on  the 
crisis.  In  April,  1775,  the  Provincial  Congress  at  Watertown 
appointed  Mr.  Hopkins  a  member  of  the  Committee  of  Corre 
spondence  for  Berkshire,  and  in  this  capacity  he  was  able  to  be 
of  much  service,  watching  the  disaffected  element  in  that  section 
of  the  State,  and  furthering  the  enlistment  and  supply  of  troops. 
On  Jan.  30,  1776,  the  Congress  elected  him  Colonel  of  the  First 
Regiment  of  Berkshire  County  militia  to  be  ready  for  any  emer 
gency,  and  a  small  part  of  it  was  sent  to  the  Hudson  Highlands 
for  a  time.  In  the  summer  of  this  year  Massachusetts  reinforced 
Washington's  army  at  New  York  with  a  brigade  of  three  regi 
ments  under  General  John  Fellows,  of  Berkshire,  with  whom 
Colonel  Hopkins  was  doubtless  well  acquainted.  The  Colonel 
seems  to  have  accompanied  him  on  this  occasion  as  an  aid  or 
volunteer,  as  his  regiment  was  not  in  the  brigade.  However  this 
may  be,  he  was  in  New  York  with  Gen.  Fellows,  and  a  few  days 
after  the  arrival  of  the  command,  Washington  appointed  him 
Aug.  7,  1776,  its  Brigade-Major  ;  and  as  such  he  served  through 
the  trying  events  in  and  around  the  city.  Fellows'  troops  were 
not  engaged  on  the  Long  Island  side,  but  upon  the  retreat  from 
New  York,  Sept.  i5th,  they  attempted  with  other  forces,  to  repel 
the  enemy  near  Kip's  Bay  only  to  be  put  to  rout.  They  were 
militiamen  without  much  discipline.  When  the  brigade  marched 
with  the  main  army  to  White  Plains,  Colonel  Hopkins  was  still 
with  it,  but  there  he  fell  seriously  ill.  The  fatigue  and  excite 
ment  of  recent  movements  threw  him  into  a  fever  from  which  he 
did  not  recover.  He  died  Oct.  26,  1776,  two  days  before  the 
Battle  of  White  Plains  (not  on  the  27th  as  stated  in  the  text),  a 
soldier  having  carried  him  in  his  arms  to  a  place  of  safety  in 
anticipation  of  an  engagement. 

Colonel  Hopkins  was  the  grandfather  of  Ex-President  Mark 
Hopkins  of  Williams  College. 


Roll  of  Honor.  2  \  7 

SAMUEL  WYLLYS, 

Colonel,  Continental  A  nnym 

The  eldest  of  the  three  Wyllys  brothers,  of  Hartford,  who 
graduated  at  Yale,  and  all  of  whom  served  in  the  Revolution. 
They  were  the  sons  of  George  Wyllys,  of  the  class  of  1729,  who 
was  Secretary  of  the  Colony  and  State  of  Connecticut  for  sixty- 
two  years,  succeeding  his  father  Hezekiah  Wyllys  in  that  office, 
and  being  in  turn  succeeded  by  his  son,  the  above  Colonel 
Samuel.  The  three  held  the  position  from  1712  until  1809,  a 
period  of  ninety-seven  years.  This  old  colonial  family  which 
long  enjoyed  a  high  social  position  is  now  extinct. 

Colonel  Wyllys  was  born  about  Jan.  i  (bapt.  Jan.  7),  1738. 
After  graduation  he  spent  a  few  years  in  England.  Returning, 
he  was  appointed,  in  1771,  the  first  Captain  of  the  First  or  Hart 
ford  Company  of  Governor's  Foot  Guards,  which  still  retains  its 
organization.  May  i,  1775,  he  was  appointed  Lieutenant-Colonel 
of  the  Second  or  Gen.  Spencer's  regiment  of  State  Troops,  and 
took  part  at  the  siege  of  Boston  until  its  evacuation  by  the 
enemy.  While  in  that  camp,  July  i,  1775,  he  was  promoted 
Colonel  of  his  regiment.  Before  leaving  Hartford  he  joined 
with  other  individuals  in  planning  and  providing  the  expenses  of 
the  expedition  which  surprised  Ticonderoga  in  May.  On  Jan.  i, 
1776,  he  was  recommissioned  Colonel  of  his  regiment,  which  re- 
enlisted  as  the  22d  Foot  to  serve  for  one  year  on  the  Continental 
basis.  With  this  command  he  took  part  in  the  New  York  cam 
paign,  being  actively  engaged  at  the  battle  of  Long  Island.  He 
was  in  charge  of  the  upper  Flatbush  pass,  near  the  eastern  line 
of  Prospect  Park,  Brooklyn,  and  was  forced  to  retreat  in  haste 
with  all  the  outguards,  when  they  found  themselves  outflanked  by 
way  of  the  Jamaica  pass.  He  narrowly  escaped  capture.  His 
regiment,  in  Parson's  Brigade,  was  also  caught  in  the  retreat  from 
New  York,  Sept.  i5th.  After  the  battle  of  White  Plains,  he  was 
posted  on  the  Hudson.  On  Jan.  i,  1777,  Wyllys  was  commis 
sioned  Colonel  of  the  new  Third  Connecticut  Continental  Line, 
and  served  with  it  four  years,  during  which  period  he  was  almost 
continuously  on  duty  in  the  Hudson  Highlands  or  along  the 
Connecticut  border.  In  the  summer  and  fall  of  1777,  his  regi 
ment  formed  part  of  Putnam's  force  which  attempted  to  check 
Clinton's  advance  up  the  river.  Humphreys  refers  to  him  in  this 


218         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

connection  in  his  "  Life  of  Putnam."  Early  in  1778  his  regiment, 
with  other  troops,  began  the  permanent  fortifications  at  West 
Point.  Fort  "  Wyllys  "  at  that  point  was  doubtless  named  after 
the  Colonel.  In  the  winter  of  1778-79,  the  regiment  quartered 
with  Putnam's  force  at  Redding,  Conn.,  and  in  the  following 
summer  it  marched  with  the  Connecticut  division  towards  the 
coast  in  that  State  to  check  Tryon.  Wyllys  was  then  in  command 
of  his  brigade — Parsons'.  In  1780  it  was  in  camp  with  Washing 
ton's  army  on  the  Hudson,  and  took  part  in  the  manoeuvres  of 
that  year.  Finally,  on  Jan.  i,  1781,  the  Colonel  retired  from  the 
service,  with  many  other  officers,  in  consequence  of  regimental 
consolidations.  After  the  war  he  became  Secretary  of  State  and 
Brigadier-General  of  Militia.  He  died  June  i,  1823,  his  old 
Governor's  Foot  Guards  being  the  escort  at  the  funeral.  Mem 
ber  Cincinnati  Society. 


Class  of -i? $9. 

JOHN  CHANDLER, 

Colonel,  Continental  Army. 

Colonel  Chandler  was  a  native  of  Pomfret,  Conn.,  where  he  was 
born  Jan.  4,  1736.  He  is  said  to  have  been  one  of  eight  young 
men  from  that  town  who  graduated  in  his  class.  Subsequently 
he  removed  to  Newtown,  Conn.,  where  he  practised  medicine 
and  occasionally  preached. 

Chandler  was  first  appointed  Major  of  Silliman's  Conn,  regi 
ment,  in  March,  1776,  ordered  to  fortify  New  York.  June  20th, 
following,  he  was  Lieut.-Colonel  under  Silliman,  and  served 
through  the  New  York  campaign,  on  Long  Island,  at  the  retreat 
from  the  city,  and  battle  of  White  Plains.  Jan.  i,  1777,  he  was 
commissioned  Colonel  of  the  new  Eighth  Conn.  Continental  Line, 
and  fought  at  Germantown.  He  was  in  camp  at  Valley  Forge,  but 
on  March  5,  1778,  resigned  his  colonelcy  on  account  of  ill  health. 
A  pension  was  allowed  him  for  "  diseases  contracted  from  severi 
ties  in  the  service."  His  Lieut.-Colonel,  Giles  Russell,  class  of  1 75 1, 


Roll  of  Honor.  219 

succeeded  him.  In  1780  the  State  Council  of  Safety  authorized 
Chandler  to  superintend  the  recruiting  of  the  Connecticut  Line, 
and  he  appears  in  the  spring  of  that  year  at  the  Morristown  huts 
urging  reenlistments  and  offering  new  bounties.  After  the  war 
he  became  Brigadier  of  Militia,  Judge  of  Fairfield  County  Court, 
and  was  also  a  delegate  to  the  State  Constitutional  Convention 
in  1788.  Later  in  life  he  removed  to  Peacham,  Vt.,  where  he 
died  March  15,  1796. 


EBENEZER  CRAFT, 

Deputy-Commissary,  Massachusetts  Troops. 

Colonel  Craft  was  born  at  Pomfret,  Conn.,  Sept.  23,  1740,  his 
father  having  removed  to  that  place  from  Newton,  Mass.  Some 
years  before  the  war  he  settled  at  Sturbridge,  Mass.,  and  in  1775 
was  captain,  it  is  said,  of  a  militia  company  of  troopers  at  the  Bos 
ton  siege  ;  but  there  is  no  record  of  cavalry  at  that  camp.  He 
served  in  another  capacity.  On  July  i,  1775,  upon  the  recom 
mendation  of  Col.  Learned,  he  was  appointed  by  the  Provincial 
Congress,  Deputy  Commissary  in  "  the  Massachusetts  army," 
and  seems  to  have  retained  the  office  through  the  year.  Whether 
he  served  again  during  the  war  does  not  appear,  but  when  Shay's 
rebellion  broke  out,  1786-7,  he  took  an  active  part  in  its  suppres 
sion,  as  Colonel  of  the  Worcester  County  regiment  of  horse. 

In  1791  Col.  Craft  removed  to  Vermont  and  founded  the  town  of 
Craftsbury,  where  he  died,  May  24,  1810.  He  was  an  active  and 
liberal  man,  being  remembered,  for  instance,  at  Leicester,  Mass.,  as 
the  founder  of  the  town  academy  where  his  portrait  is  preserved. 
In  1785-6  he  was  a  member  of  the  Massachusetts  Legislature. 

FISHER  GAY, 

Colonel,  Connecticut  State  Troops. 

Colonel  Gay's  native  place  was  Litchfield,  Conn.,  where  he  was 
born,  Oct.  9,  1733,  but  after  graduation  he  taught  school  at  Farm- 


220         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

ington  and  permanently  settled  there.  Becoming  a  merchant,  he 
acquired  property  and  influence,  and  interested  himself  in  public 
affairs.  In  1774  he  was  placed  on  the  Town  Committees  of 
Correspondence,  Vigilance  and  Supplies,  and  was  also  elected 
Member  of  the  Assembly  for  the  March  session  in  1775  (Force). 
At  that  time  he  was  Lieut. -Colonel  of  Militia. 

Upon  the  Lexington  alarm,  Col.  Gay  closed  his  store  and 
marched  to  Boston  at  the  head  of  about  a  hundred  volunteers, 
but  did  not  then  remain  long  in  the  field.  Later,  in  Jan.,  1776, 
Washington  needing  troops  at  Boston,  while  the  main  force  was 
reorganizing,  Gov.  Trumbull  sent  him,  among  others,  a  regiment 
under  Col.  Erastus  Wolcott,  of  Windsor,  of  which  Fisher  Gay 
was  Lieut. -Colonel,  with  commission  dated  Jan.  23,  1776.  An 
extract  from  the  brief  journal  he  kept,  describing  his  experiences, 
is  given  on  pp.  34-5.  With  the  evacuation  of  Boston,  Gay's  regi 
ment  returned  to  Connecticut.  Early  in  the  following  summer, 
however,  the  Colonel  again  took  the  field,  having  been  commis 
sioned  June  10,  1776,  Colonel  of  one  of  the  new  State  regiments 
composing  Wadsworth's  Brigade,  raised  for  service  at  New  York. 
The  brigade  was  posted  in  the  city  along  the  East  River  front 
until  August,  when  a  portion  of  it  was  moved  across  to  the 
Brooklyn  lines,  where  Gen.  Greene  was  in  command.  By  the 
General's  orders  of  Aug.  4th,  Col.  Gay's  regiment  was  directed 
to  make  Fort  Sterling,  on  Brooklyn  Heights,  and  the  fort  on 
Cobble  Hill,  its  alarm  posts — four  companies  at  each.  On  the 
25th  it  was  attached  to  General  Parsons'  Brigade,  which  had 
been  doing  duty  on  the  picket  line,  and  remained  on  that  side 
until  the  retreat  from  Long  Island.  The  Colonel  himself,  how 
ever,  did  not  survive  these  movements.  Taken  ill,  he  died  in 
camp  on  or  before  Aug.  27th,  the  day  of  the  battle.  It  seems  to  be 
uncertain  whether  he  died  or  was  buried  on  that  day.  "  His  zeal 
and  self-sacrifice,"  says  President  Porter,  in  his  Farmington  His 
torical  Discourse,  1872,  "were  conspicuous.  On  his  sword,  which 
is  still  preserved,  are  engraved  the  words,  *  Freedom  or  Death.'  ' 


X 


Roll  of  Honor.  221 

JESSE  LEAVEN  WORTH, 

Captain,  Connecticut. 

Three  of  the  seven  sons  of  Rev.  Mark  Leavenworth,  of  Water- 
bury,  Conn.,  class  of  1737,  graduated  at  the  college  and  served 
at  different  periods  of  the  war.  They  were  Jesse,  1759,  Mark, 
1771,  and  Nathan,  1778.  The  father,  a  well-known  pastor  in  the 
State,  was  chaplain  for  about  eight  months  in  the  French  and 
Indian  war,  and  afterwards  heartily  encouraged  the  Revolutionary 
movement. 

Jesse,  the  eldest  son,  born  at  Waterbury,  Nov.  22,  1741,  was 
settled  in  business  at  New  Haven  when  the  war  broke  out.  He 
had  been  appointed,  March  16,  1775,  Lieutenant  of  the  Second 
or  New  Haven  Company,  of  Governor's  Foot  Guards,  under 
Captain  Benedict  Arnold,  and,  upon  the  Lexington  alarm, 
marched  with  it  to  Boston.  Gen.  Wooster's  State  regiment  was 
organized  soon  after,  and  Leavenworth  received  a  First  Lieuten- 
antcy  in  it  with  commission  dating  May  i,  1775.  During  the 
summer  this  command  was  stationed  at  New  York  and  in  part 
on  Long  Island  (see  notice  of  Gen.  Wooster),  and  then  moved 
into  the  northern  department  under  Schuyler  and  Montgomery. 
From  March  to  May,  1777,  Leavenworth  appears  on  special  duty 
at  Ticonderoga,  and  was  one  of  the  witnesses  against  Gen.  St.  Clair, 
when  tried  for  hastily  abandoning  that  post.  He  was  connected, 
as  Captain,  with  the  Quarter  Master's  department  there,  and 
his  expenses  charged  "  to  the  Continent,  as  the  service  had  been 
done  by  order  of  the  President  of  Congress  to  the  Governor  "  of 
Connecticut.  Afterwards  he  purchased  lands  in  Vermont,  and 
for  a  time  resided  in  Cabot  township.  His  death  occurred  Dec. 
i2  (?),  1824,  at  Sackett's  Harbor,  N.  Y. 

EXPERIENCE  STORKS, 

Lieutenant-Colonel,  Connecticut  Militia. 

Of  Mansfield,  Conn.,  where  he  was  born,  Sept.  18,  1734.  In 
1775  he  was  a  member  of  the  Assembly  as  well  as  Lieut.-Col.  of 
the  5th  militia  regiment.  Upon  the  Lexington  alarm  he  col 
lected  five  companies  and  marched  from  Windham  Green,  April 
22d,  as  far  as  Providence.  From  that  point  he  returned  to  attend 
the  Assembly,  first  securing  powder  for  Mansfield  and  fitting  out 


222         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

a  wagon-load  of  provisions  for  his  men  at  Boston.  In  his  journal 
referred  to  in  the  text  he  makes  many  interesting  entries,  viz.: 
"  April  27 — Bad  weather  for  Tories  in  the  House  ;  yet  we  have 
some."  In  the  May  session  he  was  elected  Lieut.-Col.  of  Put 
nam's  regiment,  raised  with  others  for  the  crisis,  and  on  the  27th 
he  started  for  camp  with  one  company.  A  part  of  his  regiment 
was  at  Bunker  Hill  under  Putnam,  and  with  the  other  part  he  was 
ordered  to  throw  up  a  work  during  the  night  after  the  battle,  to 
prevent  the  enemy's  following  up  their  success  by  way  of  Charles- 
town  Neck.  An  extract  from  his  journal  appears  on  p.  20. 
After  Jan.  i,  1776,  Col.  Storrs  does  not  appear  to  have  been  on 
service  out  of  the  State.  His  regiment  was  with  Washington's 
army  a  short  time  in  the  fall  of  the  year  under  command  of  its 
Major.  He  died  July  22,  1801.  A  sentence  in  his  gravestone 
inscription  reads  :  "  He  was  portly  in  figure,  and  friendly  in  dis 
position  ;  an  advocate  of  his  country's  rights,  a  lover  of  order,  a 
respectable  professor  of  the  Christian  Religion." 


DYAR  THROOP, 

Lieutenant-Colonel,  Connecticut  Militia. 

Of  East  Haddam,  where  he  was  a  practising  "  barrister  at  law." 
He  was  born  at  Bozrah,  Conn.,  Sept.  17,  1738.  During  the  first 
part  of  the  war  he  appears  as  Major  and  Lieut.-Colonel  of  militia, 
the  latter  appointment  being  conferred  in  June,  1776.  He  doubt 
less  turned  out  with  his  regiment  on  alarms,  which  came  frequently. 
In  Feb.,  1777,  he  commanded  detachments  from  five  regiments 
ordered  to  New  London  on  one  of  the  alarms.  After  the  war  he 
became  Brigadier-General  of  militia.  He  died  June  4,  1789. 

BENJAMIN  TRUMBULL,  D.D., 

Chaplain,  Connecticut. 

Best  known  as  the  author  of  the  first  extended  history  of  Con 
necticut,  1630-1764.  He  was  pastor  at  North  Haven.  In  1775 


Roll  of  Honor.  223 

he  served  as  Chaplain  of  Gen.  Wooster's  regiment  in  the  North 
ern  Department,  and  in  the  campaign  of  1776  around  New  York, 
served  with  Col.  William  Douglas'  regiment  in  Wadsworth's 
brigade.  He  sometimes  engaged  in  battle  himself,  as  he  had 
opportunity  to  do  on  Long  Island  and  again  at  White  Plains.  It 
is  said  that  at  the  latter  place  he  fired  with  the  troops  from 
behind  walls.  Tallmadge  states,  in  his  "Memoirs,"  that  the 
Chaplain  jumped  up  behind  him  on  his  horse  as  he  was  about  to 
wade  the  Bronx  River  while  the  enemy  were  close  after  them. 
The  shock  threw  both  into  the  stream  and  they  were  nearly 
captured.  Prof.  Silliman  adds  in  Sprague's  "  Annals,"  that  the 
Chaplain,  like  Dr.  Daggett,  turned  out  on  horseback  at  the  New 
Haven  raid,  July,  1779,  and  fired  at  the  enemy  "from  the 
saddle."  Dr.  Trumbull  was  born  Dec.  19, 

2,    1820.  / 


ELIJAH  ABEL, 

Captain,  Connecticut  Troops. 

Born  at  Norwich,  Conn.,  Sept.  18,  1738  ;  lived  at  Fairfield. 
He  was  commissioned  June  10,  1776,  Captain  in  Col.  Bradley's 
State  regiment,  which  served  through  the  New  York  campaign, 
but  was  not  among  the  officers  captured  with  the  regiment  at 
Fort  Washington.  This  appears  to  have  been  the  extent  of  his 
service  outside  of  the  State.  In  July,  1779,  his  house  at  Fairfield 
was  burned  when  the  enemy  fired  the  town.  At  that  time  he  was 
Major  in  the  militia  and  engaged  in  recruiting  men  for  the  Con 
necticut  Line,  under  Trumbull's  directions.  He  held  local  offices 
during  and  after  the  war,  and  became  Brigadier-General  of  the 
militia.  His  death  occurred  at  Bozrah,  June  3,  1809. 


224         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

ANDREW  ADAMS, 

Lieutenant-Colonel,  Connecticut  Militia. 

This  was  Hon.  Andrew  Adams,  of  Litchfield,  Conn.,  referred 
to  sometimes  as  a  Revolutionary  officer.  He  was  Major  of  militia 
at  the  outbreak  of  the  war,  and  later  Lieut.-Colonel.  References 
indicate  that  he  probably  served  for  a  short  time  under  Wooster 
along  the  Westchester  Co.  border,  but  otherwise  his  services 
were  mainly  of  a  civil  nature.  He  ranked  high  as  a  patriotic 
citizen  and  jurist.  Before  the  war  he  had  been  King's  Attorney 
in  Litchfield.  He  served  on  important  committees  in  the  Assem 
bly  after  the  war  broke  out,  and  was  thrice  a  delegate  to  Congress  ; 
also  one  of  the  Governor's  assistants.  Subsequently  he  became 
Judge  of  the  Supreme  Court  and  Chief- Justice.  A  biographical 
notice  of  him,  the  earliest  we  have,  appears  in  Morris'  Statistical 
Account  of  Litchfield.  He  died  Nov.  26,  1797,  at  the  age 
of  sixty-one. 

JARED  POTTER, 

Surgeon,  Connecticut  Troops. 

Physician  at  Wallingford,  Conn.;  born  at  East  Haven,  Sept. 
25,  1742.  He  served  as  Surgeon  of  Gen.  Wooster's  regiment  in 
1775,  and  was  present  at  the  capture  of  St.  Johns  and  Montreal. 
In  the  campaign  of  1776  he  was  attached  to  Col.  Wm.  Douglas' 
regiment,  which  took  part  in  the  battle  of  Long  Island,  the 
retreat  from  New  York,  and  battle  of  White  Plains.  He  was  also 
with  a  militia  regiment,  July  5,  1779,  when  Tryon  invaded  New 
Haven.  His  death  occurred  July  30,  1810.  There  is  a  full 
notice  of  Dr.  Potter  in  the  N.  H.  Hist.  Soc.  Papers,  Vol.  ii.,  from 
the  pen  of  Dr.  Bronson,  who  says  of  him  :  "  In  the  first  decade  of 
the  present  century,  Dr.  Potter  was  probably  the  most  celebrated 
and  popular  physician  in  the  State." 

AMMI  RUHAMAH  ROBBINS, 

Chaplain,  Connecticut. 

Pastor  at  Norfolk,  Conn.  ;  born  at  Branford,  Sept.,  1740.  He 
was  Chaplain  of  Col  Charles  Burrall's  Conn,  regiment,  which 
served  in  the  Northern  Department  and  Canada  in  the  spring  of 

1  Woodbridge  Little,  of  this  class,  is  mentioned  in  the  sketch  of  Israel  Dick- 
inson,  class  of  1758. 


Roll  of  Honor.  225 

1776,  and  which  he  joined  March  20th.  Mr.  Robbins  left  a 
journal  of  his  camp  life,  which  has  been  published.  The  hard 
ships  of  the  winter  and  ravages  of  the  small-pox  made  his  experience 
a  hard  one,  which  affected  his  health.  He  was  with  our  force 
when  it  evacuated  Canada.  In  his  journal  he  mentions  Chaplains 
Avery  and  Ripley,  and  speaks  of  the  great  suffering  among  the 
soldiers.  His  death  occurred  in  1813. l 

Class  of  1 76 1 . 

STEPHEN  BABCOCK, 

Major,  Rhode  Island  Militia. 

Of  South  Kingston,  R.  I.  In  May,  1778,  Captain  of  militia, 
and  in  May,  1779,  Major  of  Col.  Dyer's  second  militia  regiment, 
of  Kings  County.  He  is  said  to  have  been  one  of  the  Captains 
in  Col.  Wm.  Barton's  Light  Infantry  battalion,  raised  in  the  sum 
mer  of  1779,  at  request  of  Gen.  Gates,  for  special  service  in 
Rhode  Island.  Major  Babcock  died  Feb.  23,  1789,  aged  about 
forty-nine. 

NATHAN  BROWNSON, 

Hospital  Surgeon,  Continental  Army. 

Doctor,  afterwards  Governor,  Brownson,  like  Lyman  Hall,  of 
the  class  of  1747,  went  South  after  graduation,  and  took  up  his 
residence  in  Liberty  Co.,  Georgia.  Entering  public  life  he  be 
came,  in  1781,  Governor  of  the  State.  Before  that  he  had  been 
a  member  of  the  Provincial  and  Continental  Congress.  In  1789- 
91  he  was  President  of  the  Georgia  Senate.  For  a  time,  during 
the  Revolution,  he  served  in  the  medical  department  of  the 
South,  Congress  having  appointed  him  "  Deputy-Purveyor  of  the 
Hospital"  on  March  28,  1781,  and  again  on  June  6,  1782.  He 
died  in  Nov.,  1796.'' 

1  Rev.  Dr.  Levi  Hart,  of  this  class,  pastor  at  Griswold,  Conn.,  visited  the 
Boston  camps  in  1775,  and  preached  to  the  troops  there,  but  not  regularly  as 
Chaplain. 

a  Rev.  Jesse  Goodell  of  Pomfret,  Conn.,  and  Rev.  William  Southmayd,  of 
this  class,  native  of  Waterbury,  Conn.,  are  mentioned  as  chaplains.  The  latter 
is  said  to  have  died  "  near  Lake  Champlain,  in  1777." 


226         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

WILLIAM  COIT, 

Captain,  Connecticut  Troops. 
Captain  of  Privateers. 

Of  New  London,  Conn.,  where  he  was  born  Nov.  26,  1742. 
The  Coit  Genealogy  describes  him  as  a  hearty  patriot,  "  blunt 
and  jovial,  eccentric,  very  large  in  frame,  fierce  and  military  in 
his  bearing,  and  noted  for  wearing  a  scarlet  coat."  He  was  a 
merchant  and  sea-captain.  In  May,  1775,  he  was  appointed 
Captain  in  Col.  Parsons'  Conn,  regiment,  and  distinguished 
himself,  with  his  company  of  "  independent  marines,"  at  the 
battle  of  Bunker  Hill  (p.  17).  In  the  fall  of  the  year,  acting 
under  Washington's  directions,  he  took  command  of  the  privateer 
Harrison  at  Plymouth,  and  on  Nov.  6th  brought  in  two  prizes. 
He  sailed  again  on  the  23d,  but  a  week  later  was  driven  into 
Barnstable  by  British  men-of-war.  Returning  to  camp  at  the 
close  of  the  year,  he  retired  from  land  service.  In  the  Webb 
"  Reminiscences  "  there  is  a  humorous,  sailor-like  letter  from  his 
pen  describing  the  Harrison.  "  While  I  can  keep  the  sea  and 
light  only  on  unarmed  vessels,"  he  writes,  "  she  will  do  very  well. 
But  if  obliged  to  fire  both  guns  of  a  side  at  a  time,  it  would  split 
her  open  from  her  gunwale  to  her  keelson."  Another  reference 
appears  on  p.  32.  On  July  u,  1776,  Captain  Coit  was  appointed, 
by  Gov.  Trumbull  and  Council,  to  the  command  of  the  "  colony 
ship-of-war,"  Oliver  Cromwell,  building  at  Saybrook.  Some  diffi 
culties  arose,  however,  and  he  was  discharged  from  the  command, 
April  14,  1777.  He  is  not  mentioned  again  until  Arnold's  attack 
on  New  London  in  1781,  when  he  was  taken  prisoner.  The  date 
of  his  exchange  does  not  appear.  He  is  supposed  to  have  died 
while  on  a  visit  to  the  South.  The  Hartford  Courant  for  May  17, 
1802,  notices  the  death  of  a  William  Coit  on  Feb.  16,  of  that  year, 
at  Burlington,  Vt. 

DANIEL  HITCHCOCK, 

Colonel,  Continental  Army. 

Of  Colonel  Hitchcock  we  know  too  little.  His  career  was 
brief,  but  long  enough  to  mark  him  as  a  man  of  uncommon  worth 
— a  type  of  the  nobler  characters  of  that  day.  His  ancestry  is 
traced  to  Luke  and  Elizabeth  (Gibbons)  Hitchcock,  who  settled 


Roll  of  Honor.  227 

at  Wethersfield,  Conn.,  in  1644,  and  whose  grandsons,  Ebenezer 
and  Peletiah,  subsequently  settled  at  Springfield,  Mass.  Peletiah 
was  the  father  of  Rev.  Dr.  Enos  Hitchcock,  graduate  of  Harvard, 
1767,  and  afterwards  a  well-known  chaplain  in  the  Revolution. 
Ebenezer  and  Mary  (Sheldon)  Hitchcock  were  the  parents  of 
Daniel,  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  He  (Daniel)  was  born  at 
Springfield,  Feb.  15,  1739,  tne  thirteenth  child  in  the  family. 
Among  his  brothers,  and  twenty-one  years  his  senior,  was  the 
Rev.  Dr.  Gad  Hitchcock,  graduate  of  Harvard,  1743. 

Upon  graduation,  Daniel  Hitchcock  studied  law  at  Northampton, 
and  in  1771-72  appears  on  the  roll  of  the  thirty  or  more  attorneys 
practising  in  the  Supreme  Court  of  Mass.  Soon  after,  for  reasons 
not  stated,  he  removed  to  Providence,  R.  I.,  where,  at  the  opening 
of  the  Revolution,  he  was  well  established  in  his  profession  and 
making  his  mark.  He  first  appears  in  a  public  capacity  in  Dec., 
1774,  when  the  R.  I.  Assembly  appointed  him  on  a  commission 
to  revive  the  military  laws  of  the  colony.  On  April  22,  1775,  he 
was  elected  Lieut. -Colonel  of  the  Providence  Train  of  Artillery, 
and  in  May  following  was  made  Colonel  of  the  Second  or  Provi 
dence  regiment  in  the  R.  I.  "  Army  of  Observation,"  as  it  was 
called,  which  went  to  Boston  under  Gen.  Greene  and  served 
through  the  siege.  Dr.  Stiles  speaks  of  meeting  him  in  camp 
there  (p.  24).  In  the  campaign  of  1776  at  New  York,  Hitchcock 
was  stationed  on  the  Long  Island  side,  and  his  regiment  helped 
to  build  the  works.  What  part  he  took  there  before  and  during 
the  battle  appears  on  pp.  40,  47.  His  regiment  was  known  as 
the  Eleventh  Foot,  on  the  Continental  Establishment  for  1776.  It 
accompanied  the  army  in  all  its  movements  and  retreats  down 
through  the  battles  of  Trenton  and  Princeton,  where,  as  stated 
in  the  text,  it  performed  capital  service.  Hitchcock  was  senior 
officer  in  the  brigade  at  the  time,  Greene  being  Division  Com 
mander,  and  he  led  it  with  signal  success,  especially  at  Princeton, 
as  described  on  p.  60.  The  army  encamped  at  Morristown, 
where,  overcome  by  the  fatigue  and  exertions  of  the  recent  move 
ments,  the  brave  Colonel  died,  Jan.  13,  1777.  He  was  buried 
with  military  honors  on  the  following  day,  the  Delaware  and 
Philadelphia  Infantry  Companies,  under  the  command  of  Captain 
Thomas  Rodney,  being  detailed  as  the  funeral  escort.  In  his 
MSS.  journal  the  Captain  says,  Jan.  i4th  :  "  This  day  the  Infan- 


228         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

try  was  ordered  to  bury  Gen.  Hitchcock  with  the  honors  of  war, 
and  as  he  was  a  Continental  officer  I  took  the  command  myself." 
He  speaks  of  the  bier  being  followed  by  "  the  mourners,  then  the 
officers,  and  then  the  battalion  in  platoons  of  10  in  open  order." 
Three  vollies  were  fired  over  the  grave. 

The  Colonel  left  a  brief  will,  which  was  witnessed  on  Jan.  10, 
1777,  at  Morristown,  the  witnesses  stating  that  "  through  exces 
sive  pain  and  weakness  "  the  testator  was  unable  to  sign  the  in 
strument.  The  will  reads  :  "  I  Give  one  Half  of  my  Estate  to 
the  Benevolent  Congregational  Society  in  Providence — The  Re 
mainder  to  be  equally  divided  among  my  Bretheren."  This  was 
sworn  to  before  Gov.  Livingston,  Jan.  i5th,  at  Morristown,  and 
on  the  i pth  March,  1777,  recorded  at  Providence.  Among  the 
items  of  the  estate  was  a  gold  watch  presented  to  Col.  Hitchcock 
by  Gen.  Greene,  as  a  mark  of  the  latter's  friendship  and  respect, 
and  which  is  now  in  the  hands  of  one  of  the  Colonel's  collateral 
descendants.  Before  his  death  the  Colonel  had  been  appointed 
to  the  command  of  one  of  the  two  R.  I.  regiments  of  the  new 
Continental  Line.  He  died  unmarried. 


Class  of  1762. 

HEZEKIAH  BISSELL, 

Captain,  Connecticut  Troops. 

Son  of  the  Rev.  Hezekiah  Bissell,  class  of  1733,  long  pastor  at 
Bloomfield,  Conn.  He  was  born  April  24,  1743,  and  settled  at 
Windham  as  a  lawyer.  Without  doubt  he  was  the  officer  of  his 
name  who  was  Captain  in  the  5th  militia  regiment  which  rein 
forced  Washington's  army  in  the  fall  of  1776 — that  regiment 
being  from  Windham  County.  There  was  also  a  State  Commissary 
by  his  name  from  the  same  county.  The  Woodbridge  family 
record  states  that  he  served  in  the  Revolution.  He  died  at 
Windsor,  1808. 


Roll  of  Honor.  229 

JEDIDIAH  CHAPMAN, 

Chaplain,  New  Jersey  Troops. 

Pastor  at  "  Newark  Mountain,"  or  Orange,  New  Jersey,  during 
the  Revolution.  His  parish  was  in  an  exposed  section  and  the 
Tories  threatened  to  capture  him.  During  a  part  of  the  campaign 
of  1776,  he  served  as  Chaplain  of  Col.  Martin's  New  Jersey  regi 
ment  in  Washington's  army,  and  may  have  been  with  it  in  camp 
on  the  Long  Island  front.  He  was  born  at  East  Haddam,  Ct., 
Sept.  27,  1741,  and  died  in  central  New  York,  May,  22,  1813. 
His  name  appears  by  error  as  Hezekiah  Chapman,  on  p.  38. 

JOSIAH  HART, 

Surgeon,  Connecticut. 

Physician  at  New  Britain,  Conn.  ;  born  April  28,  1742.  He 
studied  medicine  with  Dr.  Potter  of  Wallingford,  class  of  1760, 
and  July,  1775,  was  appointed  Surgeon's-Mate  of  Col.  Parsons' 
Connecticut  regiment  at  the  Boston  siege.  On  Jan.  i,  1776,  he 
appears  as  full  Surgeon  of  the  regiment,  and  probably  served 
with  it  in  the  New  York  campaign  through  the  year.  There 
is  no  further  record  in  his  case.  After  the  war  he  was  known 
as  a  prominent  physician  both  at  home  and  at  Marietta,  Ohio, 
where  he  settled  later  in  life.  He  died  at  Lowell,  O.,  Aug., 
1812. 

WILLIAM  NICHOLS, 

Paymaster,  Continental  A  rmy. 

The  graduate  of  this  name  was  undoubtedly  the  lawyer  and 
officer,  William  Nichols,  resident  of  Hartford.  He  formed  one 
of  the  small  party  that  went  from  that  city  to  contrive  and  assist 
in  the  capture  of  Ticonderoga,  May  10,  1775.  ^n  Z77^  ne  was 
Lieutenant  and  Paymaster  in  Col.  Heman  Swift's  Conn,  regi 
ment  in  the  Northern  Department,  and  on  Jan.  i,  1777,  he  was 
commissioned  with  the  same  rank  in  Swift's  Seventh  Regiment 
of  the  new  Continental  Line.  The  command  fought  at  Ger- 
mantown,  wintered  at  Valley  Forge,  and  was  with  the  army 
at  Monmouth.  The  rolls  showed  that  he  retired  from  the 
service  in  July,  1778.  After  that  he  seems  to  have  practised 


230         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

his  profession  at  Hartford,  where  he  died,  Friday,  Oct.  13,  1792, 
aged  fifty-one.  He  was  buried  on  the  following  day.  Member 
Cincinnati  Soc. 


AMOS  NORTHROP, 

Lieutenant  and  Commissary,  Connecticut. 

Of  New  Milford,  Conn.,  where  he  was  born,  Dec.  19,  1742. 
He  was  First  Lieutenant  in  Col.  Samuel  Whiting's  Conn,  regi 
ment,  raised  for  service  on  the  Westchester  line  during  the 
winter  of  1776-77.  Later,  according  to  family  tradition,  he  acted 
as  Commissary,  and  died  of  consumption  hastened  by  exertions 
in  the  service — his  death  occurring  March  19,  1779.  His  grave  is 
at  New  Milford. 

JOHN  PATERSON, 

Brigadier-General,  Continental  Army. 

Few  officers  were  more  closely  identified  with  the  army  than 
Gen.  Paterson — his  service  being  continuous  and  active  for  over 
eight  years  and  a  half.  His  native  place  was  New  Britain,  Conn., 
then  one  of  the  societies  of  the  town  of  Farmington,  where  he 
was  born  1743-4.  His  father  was  major  of  provincial  troops  in 
1762,  at  the  siege  of  Havanna,  and  died  there  of  yellow  fever. 
About  1769  the  general  removed  to  Lenox,  Mass.,  and  practised 
law.  He  was  sent  as  a  delegate  to  the  first  Provincial  Congress 
in  1774,  and  again  to  the  second,  which  met  at  Cambridge,  Feb 
ruary  i,  1775.  He  was  at  the  time  colonel  of  militia,  and  his 
regiment  was  among  the  first  at  the  front  after  the  Lexington 
alarm.  May  27,  1775,  he  was  commissioned  colonel  in  the  Pro 
vincial  service,  and  his  regiment  took  post  at  redoubt  No.  3, 
northeast  of  Cambridge.  He  served  through  the  siege,  and  in 
1776,  on  the  evacuation  of  Boston,  he  was  ordered  to  Canada, 
where,  in  May,  we  find  him  in  command  at  Montreal.  In  the 
fall  of  the  year  he  marched  down,  with  others,  to  reinforce  Wash 
ington,  who  was  retreating  through  the  Jerseys,  and  took  part  in 


Roll  of  Honor.  231 


the  battles  of  Trenton  and  Princeton.  He  was  then  appointed 
colonel  of  one  of  the  new  regiments  of  the  Massachusetts  Conti 
nental  line,  with  Springfield  as  the  place  of  rendezvous.  On  Feb. 
2ist,  of  that  year,  however,  he  was  promoted  by  Congress  Briga 
dier-General  of  the  Continental  Army,  and  as  such  returned  to 
Ticonderoga,  under  St.  Clair's  command.  That  post  abandoned 
he  joined  Gates'  force  with  his  Massachusetts  brigade,  and  was 
present  in  the  field  all  through  Burgoyne's  campaign.  After  the 
surrender  he  once  more  joined  Washington,  and  wintered  at 
Valley  Forge,  1777-78.  There  he  superintended  a  portion  of  the 
defences,  as  stated  on  p.  84.  At  Monmouth,  June  29,  1779,  he 
appears  in  command  of  the  three  Massachusetts  brigades  on 
Washington's  main  line,  but  not  closely  engaged  ;  then  on  the 
Hudson  and  at  West  Point,  where  he  was  post  commander  two 
winters.  In  Oct.,  1780,  after  sitting  on  the  court  that  tried 
Andre,  Paterson  wrote  a  long  letter  to  Gen.  Heath  (Mass,  archives) 
complaining  that  the  country  was  not  supporting  the  army  prop 
erly,  and  suggesting  the  best  methods  of  enlisting  recruits  for  the 
war.  As  for  himself,  he  declared  that  he  was  "  ruined  "  in  cir 
cumstances,  and  would  be  compelled  to  resign  his  commission  in 
the  following  year.  He  remained,  however,  to  render  further 
good  service.  One  of  his  letters  of  this  period,  1780,  appears  on 
p.  121. 

In  1781,  '82,  and  '83,  he  was  generally  in  the  Highlands.  He 
signs  himself,  in  March  of  the  latter  year,  commander  of  the  left 
wing  of  the  Newburg  cantonment.  On  June  24,  1783,  he  received 
orders  to  march  with  the  ist,  2d,  and  3d  Massachusetts  regiments 
to  Philadelphia,  where  a  mutiny  of  old  soldiers  broke  out.  There 
he  presided  over  the  court  which  tried  and  punished  the  offend 
ers.  Returning  to  the  Hudson,  he  retired  from  the  service  in 
December,  1783. 

After  the  war  Gen.  Paterson  resided  in  Lenox  until  about  1789, 
when  he  moved  to  Lisle,  Broome  County,  N.  Y.  Before  that  he 
had  become  Major-General  of  the  gih  Division  of  Massachusetts 
Militia,  and  in  1787  assisted  in  the  suppression  of  Shay's  rebel 
lion.  In  his  new  home  he  became  influential,  went  to  the  N.  Y. 
Legislature,  and  from  1803  to  1805  was  a  member  of  Congress. 
April  2,  1806,  he  was  appointed  Chief  Justice  of  Broome  County 
Court  of  Common  Pleas,  an  office  which  he  appears  to  have  been 


232         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

holding  at  the  time  of  his  death,  July  19,  1808.     Member  Mass. 
Cincinnati  Soc. 


THOMAS  SKINNER, 

Surgeon,  Continental  Army. 

Of  Colchester,  Conn.,  where  he  was  born  May  31,  1741.  He 
was  commissioned  March  20,  1779,  surgeon  of  the  Eighth  Conn. 
Continental  Line,  and  continued  in  service  after  January,  1781, 
when  he  was  surgeon  of  the  Fifth.  He  probably  remained  through 
the  war,  and  then  returned  to  Colchester,  where  he  died  Aug.  7, 
1796.  Member  Conn.  Cincinnati  Soc. 

WHITMAN  WELCH, 

Chaplain,  Massachusetts. 

Pastor  at  Williamstown,  Mass.,  from  1765  to  1776.  He  was  a 
native  of  Milford,  Conn.  In  the  early  part  of  1776  he  officiated 
as  chaplain  of  one  of  the  militia  regiments  of  Western  Massachu 
setts  which  were  sent  to  reinforce  our  defeated  army  before  Que 
bec.  The  small-pox  prevailing  in  the  camp,  he  contracted  the 
disease,  and  died  there  in  March,  1776.* 

Class  of  1763. 

EBENEZER  BALDWIN, 

Chaplain,  Connecticut. 

Pastor  at  Danbury,  Conn.;  born  at  Norwich,  July  3,  1745. 
He  had  been  tutor  at  Yale  and  was  highly  esteemed  as  an  instruc 
tor  and  minister.  Chancellor  Kent,  who  fitted  for  college  under 
him,  speaking  of  his  worth  and  public  spirit,  says,  in  his  $.  B.  K. 
address,  1831  : 

1  Jabez  Swift,  of  this  class,  is  mentioned  as  having  died  "  in  camp  near  Bos 
ton,  1775."  He  may  have  been  one  of  the  early  volunteers  after  the  Lexington 
alarm.  His  native  place  was  Kent,  Conn.,  but  he  had  settled  as  a  lawyer  at 
Salisbury. 


Roll  of  Honor.  233 

"  Mr.  Baldwin  took  an  enlightened  and  active  interest  in  the 
rise  and  early  progress  of  the  American  Revolution.  ...  In 
the  impending  and  gloomy  campaign  of  1776  he  was  incessant 
in  his  efforts  to  cheer  and  animate  his  townsmen  to  join  the 
militia,  which  were  called  out  for  the  defence  of  New  York.  To 
give  weight  to  his  eloquent  exhortations  he  added  that  of  his 
heroic  example.  He  went  voluntarily  as  a  chaplain  to  one  of  the 
militia  regiments.  His  office  was  peaceful,  but  he  nevertheless 
arrayed  himself  in  military  armor.  I  was  present  when  he  firmly 
and  cheerfully  bid  adieu  to  his  devoted  parishioners  and  affection 
ate  pupils." 

Mr.  Baldwin  volunteered  to  officiate  as  chaplain  of  Col.  J.  P. 
Cooke's  militia  regiment  from  Danbury,  which  served  at  New 
York  for  three  or  four  months  in  1776.  He  joined  it  in  August, 
and  was  with  the  troops  during  some  of  the  trying  scenes  of  the 
campaign.  His  experience,  however,  was  cut  short  by  camp  dis 
ease,  which  terminated  fatally.  Returning  home,  he  died  Oct.  i, 
1776,  greatly  mourned  by  his  people. 

VINE  ELDERKIN, 

Captain,  Continental  Army. 

Of  Windham,  Conn.,  where  he  was  born  Sept.  n,  1745.  He 
first  appeared  as  captain  in  Col.  John.  Douglass'  State  Regiment 
raised  for  service  in  the  Northern  Department,  with  commission 
dating  June  20,  1776.  The  regiment  went  into  the  field  under 
another  colonel,  Samuel  Mott,  and  served  during  the  summer 
and  fall  of  1776  at  Ticonderoga.  While  doing  garrison  duty  and 
working  on  the  fortifications,  the  command  suffered  from  the 
small-pox,  and  late  in  November  it  returned  to  Connecticut. 
Elderkin  then,  upon  recommendation,  entered  the  Continental 
Army,  and  was  commissioned  Jan.  i,  1777,  Captain  in  Col. 
Swift's  Seventh  Conn.  Regt.  With  this  he  doubtless  served  in 
Pennsylvania  at  the  battle  of  Germantown.  On  Nov.  2d  follow 
ing  he  resigned.  Later,  in  1778,  an  officer  of  the  same  name  was 
engaged  in  the  Commissary  Department  in  Massachusetts. 

Before  the  war  Captain  Elderkin  had  been  living  at  Wyoming, 
Penn.,  where  his  father,  Col.  Jedediah  Elderkin,  was  interested  as 
one  of  the  proprietors  in  the  Susquehanna  Co.  He  died  at  Green- 


234         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

bush,  N.   Y.,  Aug.  15,  1800.     His  brother,  Bela,  class  of  1767, 
served  in  the  navy. 


EBENEZER  GRAY, 

Lieutenant-Colonel,  Continental  Army. 

Col.  Gray  was  born  at  Windham,  Conn.,  July  26,  1743,  and 
practised  law  there  before  the  war.  He  seems  to  have  intended 
settling  at  Wyoming,  Penn.,  when  the  crisis  called  him  into  the 
service.  He  became  Second  Lieutenant  in  Putnam's  regiment, 
May  i,  1775,  and  served  through  the  siege  of  Boston,  taking  part, 
it  is  said,  in  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill.  January  i,  1776,  he  was 
promoted  First  Lieutenant  and  Quartermaster  of  Col.  Durkee's 
regiment,  and  marched  with  it  to  New  York.  There  Gen.  Par 
sons  appointed  him,  August  31,  1776,  his  Brigade-Major,  a  posi 
tion  he  retained  until  the  spring  of  1777.  He  was  doubtless  in  the 
retreat  from  New  York  and  other  affairs.  In  the  new  Continental 
Army  he  became  Major  of  the  Sixth  Connecticut,  Col.  Meigs, 
commission  dating  January  i,  1777,  and  served  in  Putnam's  com 
mand  along  the  Hudson  during  the  Burgoyne  campaign  (not  in 
Pennsylvania  as  stated  on  p.  74).  On  October  15,  1778,  he  was 
promoted  Lieutenant-Colonel  of  the  Seventh  Regiment,  Col. 
Swift's,  and  thereafter  served  in  the  main  army  along  the  High 
lands  and  in  New  Jersey.  In  the  fall  of  '78,  he  was  stationed  at 
Norwalk,  Ct.,  when  he  obtained  information  of  the  enemy's  doings 
from  Long  Island,  which  he  reported  to  Gen.  Gates.  He  once 
took  a  party  himself  to  Lloyd's  Neck,  attacked  some  Tories,  and 
brought  off  fifteen  prisoners.  One  of  his  tours  of  duty  is  indi 
cated  in  the  following:  "Camp  Mandeville,  August  12,  1779  — 
Morning  Orders  7  o'clock  —  Four  Companies  to  be  immediately 
detached  from  the  Connecticut  Line  to  march  with  light  packs 
and  Blankets  with  two  days  provisions.  Lieut.-Col°  Gray  to  com 
mand  the  Detachment."  At  the  Morristown  huts,  during  the  cold 
winter  of  1779-80,  he  was  for  a  time  in  command  of  his  brigade, 
and  in  the  spring  was  posted  on  the  advanced  lines.  In  1781  he 


Roll  of  Honor.  235 

was  assigned  to  the  Fourth  Regiment,  and  in  1782  to  the  Third. 
For  an  extract  from  one  of  his  letters,  see  p.  128.  He  retired 
June,  1783.  Member  Conn.  Cincinnati  Soc. 

After  the  war  Col.  Gray  resumed  his  law  practice  at  Windham 
and  held  the  office  of  Collector  of  Excise  for  a  few  years.  He 
died  June  18,  1795. 


WILLIAM  JUDD, 

Captain,  Continental  Army. 

Of  Farmington,  Conn.,  where  he  was  born  July  20,  1743,  and 
where  he  practised  as  "  barrister-at-law  "  until  about  1774-75 
when  he  went  to  Westmoreland,  Penn.  He  was  there  in  Dec., 

1776,  when  he  accepted  a  Captaincy  in  Col.  Wyllys'  Third  regi 
ment  of  the  new  Connecticut   Line,  commission  dating  Jan.  i, 

1777.  He  served  four  years,  mainly  on  the  Hudson,  at  West 
Point,  and  in  expeditions.      Occasionally  he  appears  as  Judge 
Advocate  of  a  court-martial.     He  retired  Jan.   i,    1781,  and  re 
sumed  the  practice  of  law  at  Farmington,  also  representing;  the 
town  several  sessions  in  the  Assembly.     Politics  interested  him, 
and  he  became  a  leader  in  the  Jeffersonian   republican  party. 
Among  other  questions  he  agitated  was  the  sufficiency  of  the 
Constitution  of  Connecticut,  no  new  one  having  been  adopted 
since  the  Declaration  of  Independence.     A  Convention  met  at 
New  Haven,  Aug.  29,  1804,  to  move  for  the  adoption  of  one,  over 
which  Judd  presided  as  Chairman.     As  he  was  Justice  of  the 
Peace,    the   Connecticut   Legislature   removed   him,    with  three 
others,  from  office  for  thus  questioning  the  State's  Constitutional 
powers.     He  proposed  to  make  his  own  defence  before  that  body 
at  New  Haven,  but  ill  health  preventing  he  put  his  brief  into  print 
for  general  circulation.      His   strength   failing   he   returned    to 
Farmington  on  the  morning  of  Nov.  13,   1804,  and  died  there  at 
ii  o'clock  on  the  same  evening.      On    the    following    day    his 
friends  issued  his  address  with  this  introduction  : 


236         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

These  are  to  you  the  people,  the  last  words  of  a  respectable  individual,  lately 
of  your  number,  of  a  man,  who  served  for  a  long  time  in  the  characters  of  a 
justice  of  the  peace,  of  an  officer  of  the  revolutionary  war,  of  a  representative  of 
his  town,  of  a  master  of  the  grand  lodge  of  Connecticut,  and  of  Chairman  of 
the  Republican  Convention. 

In  the  course  of  a  busy  life,  spent  in  political  councils,  and  in  extensive  prac 
tice  at  the  bar,  Major  Judd  had  the  means  of  understanding  the  principles  of  our 
revolution,  and  the  history  and  true  interests  of  this  State.  With  uniform  integ 
rity  and  firmness,  he  asserted  his  political  opinions  in  opposition  to  the  powers 
of  the  State,  and  this  last  opinion,  for  which  he  was  removed,  was  expressed  at 
a  time  when  he  had  strong  presentiments  that  his  end  was  near.  He  was 
anxious  to  place  before  the  people  the  reasons  which  supported  him  in  the 
declaration  that  this  State  has  no  Constitution  of  civil  government.  .  .  .  The 
last  thing  which  he  felt  on  this  side  the  grave,  was  a  removal  from  office, 
for  a  declaration  of  the  truth  of  which  he  had  no  doubt. 

Major  Judd  was  a  member  of  the  Conn.  Cincinnati  Society. 


HEZEKIAH  RIPLEY,  D.D., 

Chaplain,  Connecticut. 

Pastor  at  Green's  Farms,  Conn.,  where  his  house  and  church 
were  burned  by  the  enemy  during  the  invasion  of  July,  1779.  He 
was  Chaplain  of  Silliman's  brigade  during  a  part  of  the  campaign 
around  New  York  in  1776.  A  statement  from  his  pen  briefly  de 
scribing  his  experiences  on  Sept.  i5th,  the  day  of  the  retreat  from 
the  city,  and  the  narrow  escape  of  the  command,  appears  in  Da 
vis'  "Life  of  Burr."  In  1777  he  was  appointed  Chaplain  of  Col. 
Chandler's  Eighth  Connecticut  Line,  but  he  never  joined  it.  Dr. 
Ripley  was  born  at  Windham,  Conn.,  Febr.  3,  1743,  and  died 
Dec.  1831.' 

1  Rev.  Ephraim  Judson,  of  this  class,  was  invited  to  become  Chaplain  of  Col. 
Andrew  Ward's  Connecticut  regiment  in  the  summer  of  1776  at  New  York,  but 
whether  he  accepted  does  not  appear.  He  was  for  some  time  pastor  at  Shef 
field,  Mass. 

Rev.  Samuel  Woodbridge  is  also  mentioned  as  Chaplain.  He  was  first  at 
Eastbury  and  then  at  West  Harland,  Conn. 


Roll  of  Honor.  237 

SANFORD  KINGSBURY, 

Captain,  Connecticut  State  Troops. 

A  native  of  Norwich,  Conn.,  who  afterwards  lived  at  Claremont, 
N.  H.  He  was,  doubtless,  the  Captain  Kingsbury  who  belonged 
to  the  State  regiment,  commanded  by  Colonel  Enos,  which  served 
a  short  time  in  Rhode  Island  in  1776-77.  Probably  he  served  at 
other  points  on  alarms  during  the  war.  He  died  in  1833. 

EBENEZER  MOSELEY, 

Captain,  Connecticut  State  Troops. 

A  native  of  Windham  County,  Conn.,  born  Feb.  19,  1741.  He 
lived  in  "Canada  Society,"  and,  as  stated  on  p.  15,  commanded  a 
company  from  that  place,  which  organized  for  service  on  the 
Lexington  alarm.  The  company  joined  Putnam's  regiment,  and 
went  to  the  Boston  camp,  where  Captain  Moseley  took  part  in  the 
battle  of  Bunker  Hill.  He  probably  remained  there  through  the 
year.  In  the  early  part  of  1777  he  turned  out  again,  and  served 
under  Gen.  Spencer  in  Rhode  Island.  After  the  war  he  became 
Colonel  of  the  5th  Militia  Regiment.  By  profession  he  was  a 
minister.  An  interesting  sketch  of  him  appears  in  the  "  Moseley  " 
Genealogy.  He  died  in  1825. 

Class  of  1  764. 

PETER  COLT, 

Deputy-Commissary-General,  Continental  Army. 

Col.  Colt  was  the  youngest  son  of  Benjamin  and  Miriam  (Harris) 
Colt,  of  Lyme,  Conn.,  where  he  was  born  March  28,  1744.  His 
great-grandfather,  John  Colt,  came  from  the  west  of  England, 
about  1634,  and  settled  at  Windsor,  Conn.,  in  1637-8,  whence  his 
eldest  son,  John,  subsequently  moved  down  the  river  to  Lyme. 
It  was  Peter  Colt's  intention  to  follow  a  profession,  but  in  his 
junior  year  he,  with  about  eighty  other  students,  was  poisoned  at 
breakfast,  which  so  affected  his  health  that  he  entered  into  active 
business  life.1  In  1768  he  formed  a  partnership  at  New  Haven 


poisoning  case  is  noticed  in  the  sketch  of  Rev.  Dr.  Isaac  Lewis,  class  of 
1765,  in  Sprague's  "  Annals  of  the  American  Pulpit."  Trouble  between  the 
students  and  certain  French  people  in  New  Haven  led  to  an  act  of  revenge  on  the 
part  of  the  latter.  One  of  their  number  is  said  to  have  had  access  to  the  college 
kitchen,  and  put  arsenic  into  the  food  for  "  Commons."  Many  of  the  students 
became  seriously  ill,  and  a  few  died. 


238         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

with  Capt.  Hezekiah  Howe  in  the  West  India  trade,  which  was 
kept  up  until  1775. 

Colt  took  an  early  interest  in  public  affairs.  On  May  23,  1774, 
he  was  appointed  one  of  the  New  Haven  Town  Committee  of 
Correspondence.  About  May  i,  1775,  he  became  military  secre 
tary  to  Gen.  Wooster,  but  his  partner  soon  dying,  he  resigned  the 
position  to  settle  his  business  affairs.  While  thus  engaged,  he  ac 
cepted  a  proposition  from  his  friend,  Col.  Jonathan  Fitch,  class 
of  1748,  resident  Commissary  of  New  Haven  Co.,  to  assist  him 
in  his  duties.  During  this  connection  he  visited  the  Boston  camps. 
While  at  Watertown,  Mass.,  Sept.  n,  1775,  he  sent  a  spirited  letter 
to  young  Aaron  Burr,  whose  friends  he  knew  at  New  Haven,  and 
who  was  just  starting  off  with  Arnold  on  the  Quebec  expedition. 
"  You  must  now  think,"  he  wrote  him,  "  only  on  the  bright  side, 
and  make  the  least  of  every  disagreeable  circumstance  attending 
your  march.  Let  no  difficulty  discourage  you.  The  enterprise  is 
glorious,  and,  if  it  succeeds,  will  redound  to  the  honor  of  those 
who  planned  and  executed  it."  In  the  following  year  (1776)  he 
acted  occasionally  as  agent  for  Col.  Joseph  Trumbull,  Commissary- 
General  of  the  Continental  forces,  going  up  the  Hudson  River,  for 
instance,  in  September,  to  purchase  flour  and  provisions.  On 
Aug.  9,  1777,  Congress  appointed  Colt  Deputy-Commissary  Gen 
eral  of  Purchases  for  the  Eastern  Department,  which  included 
New  England  and  New  York  east  of  the  Hudson — the  most  im 
portant  division  that  fell  to  any  deputy.  His  duties  here  were 
constant  and  exacting,  their  nature  being  indicated  in  his  letters 
on  pp.  96-7  ;  and  they  also  led  him  into  an  intimate  acquaintance 
with  leading  men  in  Congress  and  the  army.  With  General 
Greene  and  Commissary-General  Jeremiah  Wadsworth,  he  was  on 
confidential  terms.  When  Congress  adopted  the  policy,  1780-81, 
of  supplying  the  army  by  contract,  both  Wadsworth  and  Colt 
engaged  to  supply  the  French  troops  under  Rochambeau,  and 
served  them  until  their  departure. 

Col.  Colt  married  Sarah,  the  eldest  daughter  of  Daniel  Lyman, 
Esq.,  of  New  Haven,  October  19,  1776.  About  the  middle  of 
June,  1778,  he  moved  his  office  and  family  to  Hartford,  but 
intended  to  return  at  the  close  of  the  war.  He  found  it  impossible, 
however,  to  leave  Col.  Wadsworth,  with  whom  he  formed  close 
business  arrangements,  and  he  remained  in  Hartford.  From  1789 


Roll  of  Honor.  239 

to  1793  he  was  Treasurer  of  Connecticut.  In  the  spring  of  '93  he 
resigned,  and  removed  to  Paterson,  N.  J.,  to  take  charge  of  the 
affairs  of  the  "  Society  for  Establishing  Useful  Manufactures,"  a 
corporation  that  had  been  chartered  by  the  State  of  New  Jersey, 
through  the  efforts  of  Col.  Alexander  Hamilton  and  Judge  Boudi- 
not,  of  Newark,  both  of  whom  had  long  been  his  personal  friends. 
In  1796-7  he  went  to  Rome,  N.  Y.,  to  superintend  the  works 
of  the  "  Western  Inland  Lock  Navigation  Company  "  (the  fore 
runner  of  the  Erie  Canal),  and  upon  their  completion  settled  on 
a  large  farm  at  that  place.  In  1810  he  returned  to  Paterson, 
N.  J.,  and  purchased  an  interest  in  the  "  Society  "  mentioned  above. 
His  sons  Roswell  and  John  were  already  established  in  business 
there.  Col.  Colt  died  at  Paterson,  March  16,  1824,'  Member 
Conn.  Cincinnati  Soc. 


SAMUEL  ELY, 

Volunteer. 

A  native  of  Lyme,  Conn.,  born  Nov.  6,  1740.  He  became  a 
minister  and  preached  for  some  time  at  Somers.  During  the  war 
and  after  he  appears  in  Vermont  and  Massachusetts.  It  is  cer 
tain  that  he  was  at  the  battle  of  Bennington  as  a  volunteer,  the 
fact  being  brought  out  in  a  published  charge  by  one  Williams  that 
he  was  engaged  in  plundering  after  the  action.  A  Court  of  In 
quiry  at  Bennington  reported,  Sept.  8,  1778,  as  follows  : 

"  These  certify  that  Mr.  Samuel  Ely,  the  Preacher,  who  was  in  the  two 
bloody  Battles  at  Benington,  and  behaved  with  the  greatest  Honor,  Valiantry, 
and  Courage  in  both  Actions  .  .  .  did,  when  desired,  appear  before  the 
Court  of  Enquiry  and  make  a  handsome  Defence  relative  to  the  Plunder  he  had 
taken  ;  as  he  said  what  he  had  taken  was  at  the  point  of  the  Sword,  as  a  Volun 
teer  for  his  groaning,  bleeding  Country  ;  and  he  further  said  that  he  supported 
himself  and  lived  upon  his  own  money  while  in  Camp,  and  was  at  no  charge  to 
his  Country.  And  the  Court  being  fully  satisfied  with  what  he  did  and  what  he 
said,  they  never  ordered  Mr.  Ely  to  be  advertised." 

1  The  writer  is  indebted  to  Mr.  E.  Boudinot  Colt,  of  Paterson,  N.  J.,  grand 
son  of  Col.  Colt,  for  most  of  the  facts  inserted  in  this  sketch. 


240 


Yale  in  the  Revolution. 


The  Committee  of  Safety  of  Wilmington,  Vt,  also  published  a 
card,  in  which  they  say  :  "  We  all  know  that  General  Stark  said 
if  he  had  five  Thousand  such  Men  as  Mr.  Ely  he  would  drive 

Burgoyne  and  his  army  to  the  D .  Besides,  we  are  sorry  that 

Mr.  Ely  should  be  so  treated  by  Williams  and  some  others,  when 
no  man  could  exert  himself  more  for  his  distressed  Country 
than  he  has  done  in  Various  Instances."  These  papers  appear 
in  the  New  London  Gazette,  Nov.  13,  1778. 

After  the  war  Mr.  Ely  agitated  socialistic  views,  got  into 
trouble,  defied  the  authorities  in  Massachusetts,  was  denounced 
as  a  "  mobber,"  and  arrested.  What  became  of  him  does  not 
appear.  He  is  supposed  to  have  died  in  1795. 


CHAUNCEY  WHITTLESEY, 


Purchasing  Clothier,  Connecticut. 


Merchant  at  Middletown,  Conn.  ;  born  Oct.  27,  1746.  He  was 
licensed  to  preach,  but  went  into  business  on  account  of  his 
health.  During  the  Revolution  he  was  active  as  Purchasing 
Clothier  for  the  State.  His  name  frequently  appears  in  the  rec 
ords,  one  item  in  the  proceedings  of  the  Governor's  Council  for 
Feb.  8,  1777,  for  example,  running  as  follows:  "  Chauncey 
Whittlesey,  as  Commissary,  is  directed  to  deliver  to  Col.  Wyllys, 
clothes  made,  or  such  quantity  of  cloth,  &c.,  in  his  hands,  for 
soldiers'  clothing  as  Col.  Wyllys  should  need  for  the  soldiers  in 
his  regiment.  Mr.  Whittlesey  also  ordered  to  make  soldiers' 
coats  and  trim  the  same  in  uniform,  as  Col.  WTyllys  should  direct." 
He  died  March  14,  1812.' 


1  Jeremiah  Hedges,  of  this  class,  of  Southampton,  L.  I.,  is  said  to  have  been 
a  Surgeon  in  the  Revolution,  and  Enoch  White,  of  South  Hadley,  Mass.,  a 
Lieutenant. 


Roll  of  Honor.  241 

Class  of  1765. 


MANASSEH  CUTLER, 

Chaplain,  Massachusetts. 

Dr.  Cutler's  name  is  associated  most  prominently  with  the  Or 
dinance  of  1787,  providing  for  an  organized  and  free  Western 
territory,  and  the  purchase  and  settlement  of  Ohio  lands.  He 
was  a  man  of  varied  talents — a  pastor  who  interested  himself  in 
public  affairs,  went  to  Congress,  and  also  had  a  relish  for  scien 
tific  research.  His  native  place  was  Killingly,  Conn. — date  of 
birth  May  3,  1742.  He  settled  over  the  church  at  Hamilton, 
Mass.,  and  in  July,  1778,  volunteered  as  Chaplain  of  Gen.  Tit- 
comb's  brigade  of  Mass,  militia,  which  took  part  in  Sullivan's 
operations  against  the  enemy  near  Newport,  R.  I.  This  appears 
from  his  own  diary  recently  published  by  the  late  Rev.  Dr.  Stone, 
of  Providence,  in  "  Our  French  Allies."  The  journal  contains 
much  interesting  and  valuable  information  respecting  the  move 
ment,  but  unfortunately  ends  before  the  battle  of  Rhode  Island, 
Aug.  28th,  was  fought.  He  is  said  to  have  been  present  in  the 
action.  His  later  efforts  in  behalf  of  Western  settlers  and  his 
appearance  in  public  life,  made  him  a  prominent  figure  of  the 
time.  He  died  at  Hamilton,  July  23,  1823. 

SAMUEL  EELLS, 

Captain,   Volunteers. 

Mr.  Eells  was  pastor  at  Branford,  Conn.,  from  1769  to  1808. 
While  Washington  was  retreating  through  New  Jersey  in  Nov.- 
Dec.,  1776,  the  Conn.  Legislature  called  for  volunteers  to  go  to 
his  relief.  Companies  were  formed  and  marched  with  haste  to 
the  Hudson.  Mr.  Eells  announced  the  call  to  his  parishioners 
from  his  pulpit  and  invited  all  who  would  volunteer  in  the  emer 
gency  to  assemble  on  the  green.  Many  did  so,  a  company 
was  formed,  and  Mr.  Eells  elected  captain.  They  soon  were  on 
the  march,  but  the  favorable  turn  in  affairs  after  Trenton  and 
Princeton  rendered  any  lengthened  stay  in  the  field  unnecessary. 
Mr.  Eells  died  April  22,  1808,  in  the  64th  year  of  his  age. 


242         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

ROSWELL  GRANT, 

Captain,  Connecticut  State  Troops. 

A  merchant  of  East  Windsor,  Conn.  ;  born  there  March  3, 
1746.  His  father,  Captain  Ebenezer  Grant,  descendant  of  Mat 
thew  Grant,  who  came  to  America  in  1630,  had  built  up  a  flourish 
ing  business  in  the  place,  to  which  Roswell  succeeded. 

His  Revolutionary  services  consisted  of  occasional  tours  of 
duty  within  and  beyond  the  State.  He  was  a  Captain  in  Col. 
Roger  Enos'  Regiment  raised,  with  five  others,  early  in  1778,  for 
the  defence  of  the  State,  and  "  to  be  held  in  constant  readiness, 
to  march  on  the  shortest  notice,  wherever  the  militia  were  liable 
to  be  called."  In  the  summer  following,  about  the  time  of  the 
battle  of  Monmouth,  when  the  enemy  reoccupied  New  York  with 
their  entire  force,  the  regiment  was  ordered  to  the  Hudson  and 
arrived  there  July  3d.  It  was  stationed  at  Fort  Clinton,  the  rolls 
showing  that  Captain  Grant  was  present  with  his  company.  This 
was  a  three  months'  tour.  Still  earlier  in  the  year  he  was  ordered 
to  march  "  without  delay  "  with  a  detachment,  and  report  to  Gen. 
Spencer  at  Providence,  R.  I.,  which  place  the  British  were  threat 
ening.  For  this  service,  which  was  to  continue  two  months,  Jan 
uary  and  February,  the  Governor's  Council  allowed  Captain 
Grant's  Company  ^100.  Doubtless  he  was  called  out  in  a  simi 
lar  way  at  different  times  both  earlier  and  later  in  the  war. 

In  1783  the  Captain  married  Flavia  daughter  of  Gen.  Erastus 
Wolcott,  of  Windsor.  He  was  known  afterwards  as  Major  Grant, 
and  was  elected  several  terms  to  the  State  Assembly.  His  death 
occurred  Dec.  31,  1834. 


THOMAS  GROSVENOR, 

Lieut. -Col.  Commandant,  Continental  Army. 

A  resident  of  Pomfret,  Conn.,  and  for  many  years  after  the 
war  Chief  Justice  of  Windham  Co.   Court.     He  served  in  the 


Roll  of  Honor.  243 

Revolution  nearly  eight  years  and  made  an  honorable  record, 
beginning  with  a  prompt  response  to  the  Lexington  alarm.  May 
i,  1775,  he  was  commissional  Lieutenant  in  Putnam's  regiment 
and  was  closely  engaged  at  Bunker  Hill.  (See  his  letter,  p.  19.) 
Trumbull,  the  artist,  gives  him  a  conspicuous  place  in  his  paint 
ing  of  the  battle.  Jan.  i,  1776,  he  became  Captain  in  Col.  Dur- 
kee's  regiment,  and  served  with  it  to  the  close  of  the  Boston  siege. 
Marching  to  New  York  he  was  stationed  much  of  the  time  at 
Paulus  Hook,  now  Jersey  City.  He  was  present  at  the  battle  of 
Long  Island  with  a  party  under  Knowlton,  narrowly  escaping 
capture,  and  was  again  with  Knowlton's  "  Rangers  "  in  the  suc 
cessful  affair  of  Harlem  Heights,  Sept.  16,  1776,  Returning  to 
his  regiment  he  participated  in  the  victories  of  Trenton  and 
Princeton.  In  the  new  Continental  Army  he  received  pro 
motion,  being  commissioned  Major  of  the  Third  Regt.  under 
Col.  Wyllys,  Jan.  i,  1777,  and  served  with  it  on  the  Hud 
son.  March  13,  1778,  he  was  promoted  Lieut.-Colonel  of  the 
Third.  By  general  orders,  July  n,  1779,  Gen.  Heath  appointed 
him  Inspector  of  the  Connecticut  Division,  which  position  be  re 
tained  until  the  spring  of  1782.  When  Washington  marched  to 
Virginia  he  received  the  additional  appointment,  Aug.  19,  1781, 
of  Deputy- Adjutant-General  to  that  part  of  the  army  left  to 
guard  the  Hudson.  At  the  close  of  the  campaign  he  was  re 
lieved  by  Heath's  orders  as  follows  : 

"  HEAD  QUARTERS,  HIGHLANDS,  Dec.  i,  1781. 

.  .  Lieut.  Col°.  Grosvenor  finding  it  difficult  from  the  remote 
situation  of  the  division  of  which  he  is  Inspector  to  do  the  duty  of  D.  A.  G.  of 
this  army,  Lt.  Col°.  Hull  [Y.  C.  1772,]  is  appointed  to  that  office  and  is  to  be 
obey'd  and  respected  accordingly.  The  Gen1,  requests  Lieut.  Col°.  Grosvenor 
to  accept  his  thanks  for  the  great  propriety,  and  attention  with  which  he  dis 
charged  the  important  duties  of  the  office." 

On  May  29,  1782,  Grosvenor  was  promoted  Lieut.-Colonel 
Commandant  (a  rank  equivalent  to  Colonel)  of  the  First  Conn. 
Regt.,  and  remained  with  it  on  the  Hudson  until  Jan.  i,  1783, 
when  he  retired  from  the  service.  He  had  been  a  "  barrister  " 
before  the  war,  and  resuming  his  profession  attained  judicial 
positions.  Washington  put  up  at  his  house  at  Pomfret  on  his 


244         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

New  England  tour  in  1791.  The  Colonel  died  in  1825.  Mem 
ber  Conn.  Cincinnati  Soc.  His  valuable  order-books  are  still 
preserved,  and  have  been  consulted  in  the  preparation  of  these 
sketches. 


ISAAC  LEWIS,  D.D., 

Chaplain,  Connecticut. 

Pastor  at  Greenwich,  Conn.;  born  at  Stratford,  Jan.  21,  1746. 
He  was  Chaplain  of  Col.  Bradley's  regiment  from  July,  1776,  to 
the  close  of  the  year,  and  was  with  it  in  camp  at  Bergen  and 
other  points  near  New  York.  He  was  invited  to  the  chaplaincy 
of  Bradley's  Fifth  Continental  Regt.  in  1777,  but  declined  the 
appointment.  Rev.  Ichabod  Lewis,  of  the  same  class,  was  ap 
pointed  in  his  place,  but  his  name  is  not  on  the  rolls  of  the  Fifth. 
Dr.  Lewis  died  Aug.  27,  1840,  in  his  ninety-fifth  year. 

THEODORE  SEDGWICK, 

Major  and  Aid-de-Camp,  Massachusetts. 

Prominent  as  statesman  and  jurist  from  1789  to  1813.  He 
figured  in  the  State  Constitutional  Conventions  after  the  Revolu 
tion,  went  to  Congress,  and  from  1796  to  1799  was  United  States 
Senator.  He  was  born  near  Hartford,  Conn.,  in  the  spring  of 
1746,  read  law  with  Col.  Mark  Hopkins  at  Great  Barrington,  and 
settled  in  Stockbridge.  Early  in  1776  he  became  Military  Secre 
tary,  with  the  rank  of  Major,  to  Gen.  John  Thomas,  Continental 
Major-General,  and  went  with  him  to  Canada  in  May  of  that 
year.  He  was  one  of  the  council  of  officers  who  advised  the 
abandonment  of  the  Quebec  investment.  Gen.  Thomas  died  in 
June,  and  Maj.  Sedgwick  retired  from  service.  He  was  active, 
however,  on  local  committees,  and  during  the  Burgoyne  cam 
paign  appears  to  have  been  a  volunteer  aid.  In  the  Trumbull 
MSS.  there  is  a  note  from  Col.  Burrall,  of  Connecticut,  stating 
that  he  was  met  by  Maj.  Sedgwick  "  with  verbal  orders  from  Gen. 
Lincoln  "  to  stop  all  the  militia  on  the  road  to  Bennington  after 


Roll  of  Honor. 


245 


that  battle.     At  the  time  of  his  death  at  Boston,  Jan.  24,  1813,  he 
was  Judge  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Massachusetts. 


ROBERT  WALKER, 


Captain,  Continental  Artillery. 


Captain  Walker  and  his  younger  brother,  Joseph,  class  of  1774, 
also  a  Captain  in  the  Revolution,  were  sons  of  Hon.  Robert 
Walker,  of  Stratford,  Conn.,  who  graduated  in  1730. 

Robert,  born  at  Stratford  in  1745,  joined  the  army  at  an  early 
date,  and  served  nearly  to  the  close  of  the  war.  He  was  ap 
pointed  Second  Lieutenant  of  Col.  Waterbury's  State  Regiment 
May  i,  1775,  which  went  to  the  northern  department  for  that 
year.  In  1776  a  regiment  on  the  Continental  basis  was  raised  in 
Connecticut  for  service  in  the  same  department,  under  Col, 
Samuel  Elmore,  and  Walker  was  appointed  one  of  its  captains 
April  1 5th.  With  his  company  he  was  in  garrison  at  Ft.  Schuyler 
on  the  Mohawk  from  October,  1776,  until  February  following,  when 
he  was  offered  a  position  in  Col.  Lamb's  artillery  regiment  to  be 
raised  in  New  York  and  Connecticut.  In  his  letter  of  acceptance, 
dated  Ft.  Schuyler,  Feb.  n,  1776,  Walker  writes  to  Lamb,  who 
was  then  living  at  Stratford  : 

"  Your  Honour  informs  that  if  I  am  not  too  deeply  engaged,  and  will  accept 
of  a  company  under  your  Honrs  Command,  it  shall  be  at  my  service,  with  the 
privilege  of  appointing  my  First  Lieut.  &  3  Second  Lieuts.  Was  under  no  obli 
gations  when  yours  came  to  hand,  tho*  I  had  received  a  letter  from  Colo.  Swift, 
by  which  I  was  acquainted  that  the  State  of  Connecticut  had  appointed  me  a 
Captain  in  his  Battalion  ;  also  some  other  offers  made  me.  After  examining 
the  contents,  and  upon  consulting  the  whole,  have  determined  to  accept  of  your 
Honour's  offer.  I  must  confess  my  ignorance  in  that  branch,  but  shall  en 
deavour  to  give  close  attention  when  I  shall  have  opportunity  to  be  instructed, 
and  hope  that  my  conduct  may  be  such  that  I  shall  not  dishonour  the  Regt." 
[MSS.  N.  Y.  Hist.  Soc.] 

Walker's  commission  as  Captain  in  the  Artillery  was  dated  Jan. 


246         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

i,  1777.  He  was  generally  on  duty  along  the  Hudson,  at  West 
Point,  and  forts  in  the  vicinity.  Some  of  the  time  he  was  with 
the  Connecticut  division.  One  of  Gen.  Heath's  orders,  July  19, 
1779,  runs  :  "Captain  Walker,  with  his  six  pounders,  now  at 
tached  to  Gen.  Huntington's  Brigade,  is  to  march  with  Gen.  Nix 
on's  Brigade,  and  remain  with  it  till  further  orders."  In  1780  he 
is  mentioned  as  being  at  the  North  Redoubt,  opposite  West  Point, 
Fishkill,  and  New  Windsor.  He  resigned  March  23,  1781. 
After  the  war  he  lived  at  Stratford  and  held  judicial  office.  He 
died  Nov.  7,  1810,  aged  sixty-four. 


SAMUEL  WHITING, 

Surgeon,  Connecticut. 

A  native  of  Stratford.  He  was  appointed  in  May,  1775,  Sur- 
geon's-mate  of  Col.  Waterbury's  regiment,  of  which  his  father  was 
Lieut.-Colonel.  The  regiment  served  in  the  northern -depart 
ment.  He  was  probably  surgeon  of  the  State  regiment  his 
father  commanded  in  1776-77,  and  again  in  1779  at  Fairfield 
when  the  enemy  burned  the  place.  He  died  in  1832,  at  Green- 
wich(?). 

HEZEKIAH  WYLLYS, 

Colonel,  Connecticut  Militia. 

Brother  of  Colonel  Samuel  Wyllys,  class  of  1758,  already 
mentioned.  He  was  born  at  Hartford  in  1747.  His  brothers  were 
in  the  Continental  army,  while  he  served  mainly  at  home  with  the 
militia.  He  was  Captain  in  Colonel  Chester's  regiment  in  1776, 
and  was  probably  with  it  at  the  battle  of  Long  Island  and  White 
Plains.  After  that  he  was  appointed  Lieut.-Colonel  Com 
mandant  of  the  First  Regiment  of  Militia  and  frequently  turned 


Roll  of  Honor.  247 

out  on  alarms.  He  was  in  Putnam's  force  on  the  Hudson  in  the 
Burgoyne  campaign,  also  at  Stonington,  New  Haven,  and  other 
points  during  the  war.  He  also  assisted  in  recruiting  the  Conti 
nental  line.  "  He  lived,"  says  Miss  Talcott,  in  notice  of  the 
family,  "in  the  old  Wyllys  house  on  Charter  Oak  hill  [Hartford], 
and  was  the  last  of  the  name  who  resided  there."  His  death 
occurred  March  29,  1827. 1 


Class  of  1766. 

JOHN  CHESTER, 

Colonel,  Connecticut  State  Troops. 

Resident  of  Wethersfield,  Conn.,  where  he  was  born  January 
29,  1749.  He  descended  in  the  fifth  generation  from  Leonard 
Chester,  of  Leicestershire,  England,  who  settled  at  Wethersfield 
about  1635.  The  Colonel  was  a  man  of  influence  and  position, 
and  personally  popular.  Upon  the  Lexington  alarm  he  hurried 
toward  Boston  at  the  head  of  a  well-equipped  company  of  about 
a  hundred  men,  which  is  mentioned  as  the  "  elite  corps  "  of  the 
provincial  forces  in  that  camp.  "  As  such,"  says  Swett,  "  it  was 
selected,  on  the  6th  June,  to  escort  Gen.  Putnam  and  Warren, 
President  of  Congress,  to  Charleston,  on  the  exchange  of  prison 
ers  with  the  British."  Capt.  Chester  led  this  company,  which 
belonged  to  Spencer's  regiment,  into  the  Bunker  Hill  fight,  where 
it  distinguished  itself.  His  account  of  the  action  appears  on 
page  1 8.  In  January,  1776,  he  was  promoted  major  of  Col. 
Erastus  Wolcott's  regiment,  raised  for  a  brief  term  of  service  at 
the  siege,  and  was  one  of  the  first  officers  to  enter  Boston  when 

1  John  Elderkin  of  this  class,  was  without  much  doubt  the  officer  of  the  same 
name  who  was  Quartermaster  of  Colonel  Chas.  Webb's  Conn,  regiment  in  1776, 
and  again  in  1777.  There  was  such  an  officer  at  West  Point  in  1780.  He  was 
born  at  Windham,  Conn.,  Jan.  18,  1742,  and  died  in  1795;  distant  relative  of 
Captain  Vine  Elderkin,  class  of  1763. 


248         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

the  enemy  left  in  March.  In  a  letter  to  Gov.  Trumbull,  dated 
February  19,  1776,  Col.  Huntington  recommends  Chester  for 
further  promotion  as  "  a  fit  person  to  fill  any  suitable  place  that 
may  be  vacant  in  the  army,"  and  in  June  following  he  was 
appointed  colonel  of  one  of  the  seven  regiments  of  Wadsworth's 
brigade,  raised  to  serve  under  Washington  at  New  York  to  the 
end  of  the  year.  This  regiment  was  engaged  at  the  battle  of 
Long  Island,  and  narrowly  escaped  capture,  being  stationed  on 
the  outposts  near  the  Flatbush  pass,  now  in  Prospect  Park, 
Brooklyn.  What  part  Chester  took  in  the  retreat  to  New  York 
appears  in  the  journal  of  his  Adjutant,  Tallmadge,  quoted  on 
page  49.  Soon  after  he  was  made  brigade  commander,  and  was 
present  at  the  battles  of  White  Plains  and  Trenton.  At  the  close 
of  the  year  he  was  recommended  for  a  colonelcy  in  the  new 
Continental  Army,  but  declined  the  appointment  and  returned  to 
private  life.  On  this  point  his  pastor,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Marsh,  says 
in  his  address  at  Chester's  funeral :  "  Inviolably  attached  to  the 
cause  of  his  country,  with  reluctance  he  retired  from  the  army  at 
the  imperious  call  of  his  family  concerns  in  1777,  greatly 
regretted,  particularly  by  the  Commander-in-Chief,  who  ex 
pressed  a  solicitous  desire  to  retain  him  in  the  service."  After 
the  war,  as  before,  Col.  Chester  went  to  the  legislature,  served  as 
Speaker  several  terms,  and  in  1798  was  elected  a  member  of  the 
Governor's  Council.  In  1791,  Washington  appointed  him  Super 
visor  of  the  District  of  Connecticut.  He  was  also  Probate  and 
County  Judge.  His  death  occurred  November  4,  1809,  from 
paralysis.  Extracts  from  his  letters  have  been  published  as  stated 
on  page  21,  note.  Member  Connecticut  Cincinnati  Society. 


ANDREW  LEE,  D.D., 

Chaplain,  Continental  Army. 

Pastor  at  Hanover,  now  Lisbon,  Conn.     He  was  born  at  Lyme, 
May  7,  1745,  and  died  August  25,  1832.     The  rolls  of  Col.  John 


Roll  of  Honor.  249 

Durkee's  Fourth  Regt,  Connecticut  Line,  show  that  Dr.  Lee  was 
its  chaplain  from  January  i  to  October  15,  1777.  The  regiment 
was  engaged  at  the  battle  of  Germantown,  October  4th. 


JAMES  LOCKWOOD, 

Secretary  and  Brigade-Major. 

Born  July  9,  1746,  at  Wethersfield,  Conn.,  where  his  father, 
Rev.  James  Lockwood,  class  of  1735,  was  pastor.  He  was  a 
merchant  at  New  Haven.  On  the  Lexington  alarm  he  appears  to 
have  gone  in  some  capacity  to  the  Boston  camp.  Later  he 
became  military  secretary  to  Gen.  Wooster,  and  accompanied 
him  to  Canada  with  Montgomery,  who  appointed  him  a  brigade- 
major  "  in  the  Northern  Army."  He  was  at  the  capture  of  St. 
Johns,  at  Montreal,  and  at  Quebec  in  April-May,  1776.  This 
seems  to  have  been  the  extent  of  his  field  service.  On  September 
24,  1777,  he  was  appointed  recruiting  officer  of  the  First  Connecti 
cut  Militia  brigade.  After  the  war  Major  Lockwood  went  to 
Philadelphia  and  engaged  in  business.  He  is  said  to  have  died 
at  Wilmington,  N.  C.,  August  24,  I795.1 

Rtxf^ 

JOHN  STRONG, 

Captain,  Massachusetts  Volunteers. 

s\  ^ >^>fc  ~^ 

Of  Pittsfield,  Mass.  He  is  referred  to  as  one  of  the  patriotic 
citizens  of  the  place  who  served  for  short  terms  at  different 
In  May,  1777,  he  appears  as  captain  of  militia  on  the  Hudson^ 
and  again  in  July  at  Fort  Ann  with  fifty-four  men.  September 
6,  1777,  he  is  one  of  thirty-one  volunteers,  "every  man  with  a 
horse  and  meal-bag,"  and  all  presumably  off  for  Gates'  camp  at 
Saratoga.  In  August  previous  he  had  marched  for  Bennington, 
and  may  have  been  in  that  battle.  Capt.  Strong  was  a  lawyer  by 
profession  ;  born  October  13,  1744  ;  died,  probably  at  Albany,  in 
1815. 

1  David  Shepard,  of  this  class,  is  mentioned  as  having  been  a  captain,  and 
afterwards  surgeon  in  the  Revolution.  He  was  a  native  of  Westfield,  Mass. ; 
died  at  Amsterdam,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  12,  1818,  where  he  had  settled  as  a  physician. 

Dudley  Woodbridge,  of  the  same  class,  a  "minute-man."  A  native  of 
Stonington,  Conn.,  he  died  at  Marietta,  Ohio,  August  6,  1823. 


250         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

JOSEPH  B.  WADSWORTH, 

Surgeon,  Continental  Army. 

A  native  of  Hartford.  He  settled  at  Ellington,  Conn.,  as  a 
physician,  and  during  a  part  of  the  war  served  as  surgeon  or  sur 
geon's  mate  on  the  Hudson.  He  was  doubtless  with  one  of  the 
Connecticut  Continental  regiments.  One  of  his  letters  speaking 
of  the  sick  is  dated  "  Camp,  May  i,  1778."  He  died  March  12, 
1784,  in  his  thirty-seventh  year. 

Class  of  1767. 

MOSES  ASHLEY, 

Major,  Continental  Army. 

A  native  of  Westfield,  Mass.,  where  he  was  born  July  16, 1749  ; 
afterwards  known  as  Gen.  Ashley,  of  Stockbridge.  Upon  the 
Lexington  alarm  he  marched  to  Boston  as  a  lieutenant  in  Col.  Pat- 
erson's  militia  regiment,  and  served  with  it  through  the  siege.  In 
September,  1775,  he  appears  as  recruiting  officer  for  the  regiment, 
and  January  i,  1776,  as  captain.  During  the  summer  and  fall  of 
that  year  he  served  in  the  Northern  Department,  then  marched 
south  to  Washington's  camp,  and  doubtless  engaged  in  the  battles 
of  Trenton  and  Princeton.  January  i,  1777,  he  was  commis 
sioned  Captain  of  the  First  Massachusetts  Continental  Regt.,  Col. 
Vose,  and  was  present  with  it  throughout  the  Saratoga  campaign. 
After  Burgoyne's  surrender  he  marched  to  Washington's  camp 
again  and  wintered,  1777-78,  at  Valley  Forge. 

In  June,  1778,  his  command  was  at  the  battle  of  Monmouth, 
and  in  August  following  at  the  battle  of  Rhode  Island.  From 
1779  to  the  close  of  the  war  he  was  with  the  main  army  on  the 
Hudson,  sometimes  acting  as  brigade-major  of  Glover's  brigade 
and  again  as  inspector.  In  August,  1780,  he  was  promoted  Ma 
jor  of  the  Fifth  Massachusetts  Regt.,  commanded  by  Col.  Rufus 
Putnam,  and  continued  as  brigade  inspector  during  1781.  Au 
gust  5,  1782,  he  commanded  a  light  detachment  on  the  outposts 
and  was  also  one  of  the  majors  of  the  Light  Infantry  of  that  year. 
February  6,  1783,  he  was  transferred  from  the  Fifth  to  the  Sixth 
Regt.,  Col.  Greaton's,  and  in  June  following  retired  from  the 
army,  his  service  having  been  continuous  for  over  eight  years. 


Roll  of  Honor.  251 

Returning  to  Stockbridge,  where  he  had  married  the  widow  of 
Col.  Thos.  Williams,  he  engaged  in  business  and  held  office.  He 
appears  as  County  Treasurer  in  1788,  and  as  Brig.-Gen.  of  Mili 
tia  1790-91.  His  death  occurred  from  drowning  August  25, 
1791.  Member  Massachusetts  Cincinnati  Society. 

The  Boston  Centinel  for  September  7,  1791,  publishes  the  fol 
lowing  obituary  : 

"  It  is  with  the  most  painful  sensations  that  we  announce  to  the  publick  the 
unfortunate  death  of  Brigadier-General  MOSES  ASHLEY,  of  Stockbridge,  who 
was  drowned  at  the  Dam  of  his  Forge  in  Lee,  on  Thursday,  the  2 5th  ult. 
General  Ashley,  at  a  very  early  period  of  life,  received  the  advantages  of  an 
academical  education  ;  and  though  while  at  College  he  was  distinguished  by 
industry  and  decency  of  behaviour,  yet  it  was  not  by  literary  acquisitions  that 
his  life  was  rendered  most  useful.  More  active  scenes  have  employed  every 
period  of  his  ripened  manhood.  While  in  the  bloom  of  life  at  the  age  of 
twenty-four,  when  America  was  aroused  to  opposition  by  the  usurpations  of 
Great  Britain,  he,  with  the  ardour  of  youth  and  a  promptitude  of  decision,  by 
which  he  was  always  distinguished,  embraced  the  profession  of  arms  for  the 
security  of  freedom.  He  served  until  the  conclusion  of  the  war,  and  for  several 
of  the  last  years  as  a  Major  in  the  line  of  Massachusetts.  During  the  whole 
time  it  was  his  happiness  and  glory  to  be  greatly  respected  by  his  superiours, 
affectionately  beloved  and  confided  in  by  those  of  his  own  grade,  and  almost 
adored  by  his  soldiery  under  his  immediate  command.  Brave,  enterprising, 
active,  generous,  patient,  he  possessed  those  qualities  by  which  military  fame 
is  acquired.  .  .  .  On  all  occasions  he  exerted  his  influence  for  the  support 
of  the  due  administration  of  Justice  ;  and  has  uniformly  practiced  the  virtues 
of  a  modest  and  worthy  citizen.'1 


BELA  ELDERKIN, 

Lieutenant  of  Marines. 

Born  at  Windham,  Conn.,  Dec.  10,  1751  ;  younger  brother  of 
Capt.  Vine  Elderkin,  class  of  1763.  He  was  appointed  by  the 
Governor's  Council,  Aug.  21,  1776,  Lieutenant  of  Marines,  and 
reappointed  to  the  same  position,  April  u,  1777,  for  a  cruise  on 
the  Connecticut  ship  of  war  Oliver  Cromwell  to  extend  to  the 
middle  of  October  following.  He  died  at  Potsdam  (?),  N.  Y.,  in 
1829. 


252         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

ISAAC  KNIGHT, 

Surgeon,  Connecticut  Troops. 

A  physician  of  East  Guilford,  now  Madison,  Conn.  He  was 
appointed  surgeon  of  Col.  Ely's  State  regiment,  July  3,  1777,  a 
portion  of  which  took  part  in  expeditions  to  Long  Island.  Born, 
May  25,  1745  ;  died,  Plainfield,  March  8,  iSiS.1 

Class  of  1768. 

JONATHAN  BIRD, 

Surgeon,  Connecticut  Troops. 

A  native  of  New  Britain,  Conn.  He  was  Surgeon  of  the  i8th 
and  22d  Militia  Regiments  from  Connecticut,  under  Cols.  Petti- 
bone  and  Chapman,  which  served  at  New  York  and  vicinity  dur 
ing  the  summer  and  fall  of  1776.  They  formed  part  of  the  force 
under  Wolcott.  He  died  in  1813,  probably  at  Simsbury. 

THOMAS  BROCKWAY, 

Chaplain,  Connecticut  Troops. 

Pastor  at  Lebanon  Crank,  Conn.;  born  at  Lyme  in  1744,  and 
died  there,  suddenly,  July  5,  1807.  He  was  chaplain  of  Col. 
Samuel  Selden's  State  regiment,  Wadsworth's  brigade,  which 
served  at  New  York  in  1776.  His  regiment  suffered  some  loss  on 
the  day  of  its  retreat  from  the  city,  Sept.  i5th.  Mr.  Brockway, 
who  was  sick  in  camp  at  the  time,  was  removed  in  a  horse  cart  by 
a  boy  and  escaped  capture.  Later  in  the  war  when  word  reached 
him  that  the  enemy  had  landed  at  New  London,  Sept.,  1781,  he 
seized  his  gun  and  powder  horn,  mounted  his  horse  and  hurried 
to  the  place,  arriving  too  late,  however,  to  be  of  service. 

JONATHAN  HEART, 

Captain,  Continental  Army. 
Major,  Second  Reg' t,  U.  S.  A. 

Major  Heart,  whose  long  and  valuable  services  and  sudden  fate 
have  been  noticed  in  the  closing  chapter  in  the  text,  pp.  163-173, 
was  born  in  Kensington,  now  Berlin,  Conn.,  in  1744.  His  father 
was  Deacon  Ebenezer  Hart,  descendant  of  Stephen  Hart,  one 
of  the  early  settlers  of  Hartford  and  Farmington.  Jonathan  and 

1  Rev.  Samuel  Wales,  D.D.,  of  this  class,  Professor  of  Divinity  at  the  Col 
lege  from  1782  to  1793,  was  probably  chaplain  of  Connecticut  State  troops  fora 
short  time  in  1775-76.  He  died  at  New  Haven  February  18,  1794,  aged  46 


Roll  of  Honor.  253 

his  younger  brother  John,  non-graduate,  also  a  Revolutionary 
officer,  uniformly  spelled  their  name — Heart. 

After  graduation  the  Major  taught  school  in  New  Jersey,  but 
was  at  home  when  the  war  opened,  and  appears  to  have  started 
off  with  the  first  volunteers  in  the  Lexington  alarm.  He  dates 
his  term  of  service  from  May  4,  1775,  when  he  may  have  enlisted 
as  a  soldier  in  the  ranks.  According  to  family  tradition  he  fought 
as  such  at  Bunker  Hill.  However  this  may  be,  he  was  early  at  the 
front  with  Connecticut  troops  at  the  Boston  siege.  On  Jan.  i, 
1776,  he  appears  there  as  ensign  of  Col.  Wyllys'  regiment,  and 
served  with  it  through  the  year  in  the  New  York  campaign.  His 
regiment  took  part  in  the  battle  of  Long  Island,  narrowly  escap 
ing  capture,  and  was  again  caught  in  the  panic  Sept.  i5th,  when 
New  York  was  abandoned.  It  was  present  but  not  engaged  at 
the  battle  of  White  Plains.  During  this  campaign  Heart  was  pro 
moted  lieutenant,  and  seems  to  have  been  well  thought  of,  as  he 
was  again  promoted  in  the  reorganized  army  Jan.  i,  1777,  First 
Lieutenant  and  Adjutant  of  the  Third  Regiment,  Connecticut 
Line,  commanded  by  Col.  Wyllys.  From  this  time  for  seven 
years  he  was  almost  continuously  on  duty.  In  the  summer  and 
fall  of  1777,  the  regiment  was  posted  on  the  Hudson  near  Peeks- 
kill,  and  formed  part  of  the  small  force  that  vainly  attempted  to 
prevent  the  enemy  from  ascending  the  river  and  burning  Kingston. 
In  1778  it  assisted  in  fortifying  West  Point.  On  July  i,  1779, 
Heart  was  promoted  captain-lieutenant,  but  continued  as  adju 
tant  for  several  months.  He  appears  in  this  capacity  at  the  Mor- 
ristown  winter  encampment  1779-80,  at  Westfield,  N.  J.,  and 
other  places.  On  May  i,  1780,  he  was  promoted  full  captain, 
and  transferred,  Jan.  i,  1781,  to  the  First  Connecticut  Regiment, 
under  Col.  Durkee.  At  the  same  time,  by  orders  of  Gen.  Parsons, 
Jan.  2,  1781,  he  was  appointed  Brigade-Major  and  Sub-Inspector 
of  the  First  Connecticut  Brigade — a  position,  however,  which  he 
retained  but  a  short  time,  as  he  was  detached  in  the  spring  to  join 
Col.  Gimat's  battalion  of  Lafayette's  Light  Infantry  Corps,  just 
formed  for  service  in  Virginia.  Heart  was  with  this  body  through 
out  its  campaign  against  Cornwallis  in  that  State,  and  in  which  it 
greatly  distinguished  itself.  He  was  doubtless  with  it  in  the  se 
vere  affair  of  Green  Springs,  July,  1781,  near  Jamestown.  It  also 
had  the  post  of  honor  at  the  siege  of  Yorktown,  especially  at  the 
storming  of  the  redoubts  on  Oct.  i4th,  where  Gimat's  battalion  led 


254         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

the  American  column.  Returning  with  the  army  to  the  Hudson, 
Captain  Heart  was  transferred,  Jan.  i,  1782,  to  Col.  Zebulon  But 
ler's  regiment,  and  served  as  brigade  inspector  and  quarter 
master.  In  May,  1783,  he  was  transferred  to  Col.  Swift's  regiment, 
stationed  at  West  Point,  and  was  mustered  out  of  the  service  with 
it  in  December  of  that  year. 

Heart's  subsequent  career  is  outlined  in  the  chapter  in  the  text 
referred  to.  In  1785  he  was  appointed,  by  the  Governor  of  Con 
necticut,  Captain  in  Harmar's  First  American  Regiment,  raised 
for  service  on  the  Ohio.  The  brief  journal  of  his  march  with  his 
company  from  Connecticut  to  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  has  lately  been 
edited  and  published  by  Mr.  C.  W.  Butterfield.  While  in  the 
Western  country  he  had  the  opportunity  of  making  useful  surveys 
and  observations.  For  a  time,  as  stated,  he  commanded  the 
isolated  post  at  Venango,  Pa.,  which  Col.  Harmar  visited  in  1788. 
In  a  letter  to  the  Secretary  of  War,  June  i5th,  the  latter  says  : 
"  Captain  Heart,  with  his  small  command,  has  done  an  immense 
deal  of  work  there.  His  garrison  was  found  to  be  in  excellent 
order.  There  are  a  number  of  the  Seneca  and  Monsy  tribes  con 
tinually  in  his  neighborhood,  who  conduct  themselves  very 
peaceably.  Indeed,  I  know  of  no  officer  who  manages  the  Indians 
better  than  Captain  Heart.  The  Senecas  in  particular  place 
great  confidence  in  him  ;  he.  is  a  great  favorite  among  them  " 
(St.  Clair  papers).  The  captain  was  with  Harmar  in  his  luckless 
expedition  against  the  Indians  in  the  fall  of  1790,  in  which  his 
friend  Major  Wyllys,  class  of  1773,  was  killed.  On  March  4, 
1791,  Heart  was  promoted  Major  of  the  new  Second  Regiment  of 
Infantry,  U.  S.  A.,  which  formed  part  of  St.  Glair's  expedition 
against  the  Indians  in  October-November,  1791.  In  the  disas 
trous  battle  of  November  4th  Heart  led  his  regiment  with  acknowl 
edged  skill  and  courage,  but  at  about  the  close  of  the  fighting 
fell  on  the  field  with  most  of  the  officers  of  his  command.  Ex 
tracts  from  some  of  his  letters  appear  in  the  text.  Member  Con 
necticut  Cincinnati  Society. 


Roll  of  Honor.  255 

THEOPHILUS  MUNSON, 

Captain,  Continental  Army. 

Native  of  New  Haven,  Conn.,  where  he  was  born  January  4, 
I747.1  According  to  the  Cincinnati  Society  records  he  was  com 
missioned  captain,  March  10,1776,  in  which  case  he  may  have  been 
theTheophilus  Munsonwhowas  captain  that  year  in  Col.  Glover's 
Massachusetts  Regiment,  the  command  that  proved  so  service 
able  on  the  retreat  from  Long  Island  in  crossing  the  river,  and 
again  at  the  crossing  of  the  Delaware  before  the  battle  of  Tren 
ton.  He  was  also  at  Princeton.  Whatever  his  service  it  entitled 
him  to  recognition,  and  on  January  i,  1777,  he  was  commissioned 
Captain  in  the  Eighth  Connecticut  Continental  Line  under  Col. 
Chandler,  which  fought  at  the  battle  of  German  town  and  wintered 
at  Valley  Forge.  It  was  also  present  at  Monmouth.  In  1779 
Captain  Munson,  who  commanded  the  Light  Company  of  his 
regiment,  was  detached  to  Col.  Meigs'  battalion  in  Wayne's  Light 
Infantry  Corps,  and  took  part  with  it  in  the  storming  of  Stony 
Point  on  the  night  of  July  i5th.  He  was  at  the  Morristown  en 
campment  during  the  winter  of  1779-80.  Upon  the  reduction  of 
regiments,  January  i,  1781,  he  was  transferred  to  Col.  Butler's 
Fourth,  and  on  January  i,  1783,  to  the  First,  Col.  Swift's,  with 
which  he  retired  from  service  in  the  fall.  He  died  March  30, 
1795,  at  Redding,  Conn.,  where  he  settled  on  a  farm  about  1788. 
His  wife  was  Sarah,  widow  of  Jabez  Hill,  and  daughter  of  John 
Read,  a  leading  resident  of  Redding.  In  1804  his  widow  applied 
for  the  government  bounty  land,  due  for  her  husband's  Revolu 
tionary  services.  Member  Connecticut  Cincinnati  Society. 


JOHN  PADDLEFORD, 

Surgeon,  Continental  Navy. 

A  physician  of  Hardwick,  Mass.,  born  1748.  He  is  referred  to 
in  Paige's  history  of  the  town  as  a  man  of  vigorous  intellect,  up 
right  and  public-spirited.  He  entered  the  Continental  Navy  as 
surgeon,  was  taken  prisoner,  and  died  at  St.  Eustasia  in  1779, 
when  about  to  be  exchanged.  His  younger  brother  Seth,  class 

1  The  members  of  this  family  have  spelled  their  name  variously,  Munson  and 
Monson. 


256         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

of  1770,  was  a  member  of  the  town  Committee  of  Correspond 
ence  at  the  opening  of  the  war. 

THOMAS  WOOSTER, 

Captain,  Continental  Army. 

Son  of  Gen.  David  Wooster,  class  of  1738.  He  dates  his  ser 
vice  in  the  Cincinnati  Society  records  from  October  15,  1776, 
when  he  was  aid-de-camp  to  his  father  at  Rye  and  on  the  West- 
chester  County  border.  His  father  recommended  him  to  Gov. 
Trumbull  for  a  position  in  one  of  the  new  Continental  regiments, 
and  he  received  a  captaincy  in  Col.  S.  B.  Webb's  "  additional  " 
regiment,  with  commission  dated  January  i,  1777.  He  was  cap 
tain  of  the  "  grenadier  "  company,  and  was  in  the  expedition  to 
Long  Island  in  December,  1777,  when  his  colonel  and  other 
officers  were  captured.  The  regiment  served  on  the  Hudson  and 
at  Rhode  Island  during  1777  and  1778.  Wooster  did  not  con 
tinue  in  the  army  much  after  the  latter  date,  the  rolls  showing 
that  he  was  on  duty  until  November  7, 1778,  and  then  furloughed 
to  June  i,  1779,  when,  according  to  one  of  his  own  memorials,  he 
left  the  service.  After  that  he  was  entered  as  a  "  supernumerary  " 
officer  entitled  to  a  year's  pay.  From  one  of  his  letters  to  his 
colonel  in  the  "Webb  Reminiscences,"  May  12,  1780,  it  appears 
that  he  did  not  draw  his  supernumerary  pay  "  as  I  did  not  enter 
the  service  for  the  sake  of  pay  or  rank,  and  imagine  should  not 
have  quitted  it  till  the  war  was  over,  if  you  had  not  been  so  un 
fortunate  as  to  be  taken  from  it."  He  proposed  going  to  Europe 
in  the  fall.  After  the  war  Capt.  Wooster  engaged  in  business  and 
took  up  his  residence  at  New  Orleans.  He  was  lost  at  sea  (as 
supposed)  while  on  a  voyage  from  New  Haven  to  that  place 
about  1793.  Member  Connecticut  Cincinnati  Society.1 


1  Samuel  Fowler,  of  this  class,  of  Westfield,  Mass.,  is  mentioned  as  having 
been  in  the  Revolutionary  army.  Born  September  5,  1749  5  died  November 
26,  1823.  He  was  State  Senator. 

Nathaniel  West,  of  the  same  class,  was  probably  the  officer  of  his  name  who 
served  as  lieutenant  of  a  Connecticut  State  regiment  in  1776  and  1777  in  the 
vicinity  of  New  York.  He  was  a  son  of  Judge  Zebulon  West,  of  Tolland, 
Conn.,  and  brother  to  Surgeon  Jeremiah  West,  class  of  1774.  Born  September 
5,  1748  ;  died  in  Vermont  in  1815. 


Roll  of  Honor.  257 

Class  of  1769. 

DAVID  AVERY, 

Brigade  Chaplain,  Continental  Army. 

A  native  of  Franklin,  Conn.,  born  April  5,  1746.  Few  chap 
lains  remained  continuously  in  the  service  as  long  as  Mr.  Avery. 
When  the  war  broke  out  he  was  pastor  at  Windsor,  Berkshire 
County,  Mass.,  and,  upon  the  Lexington  alarm,  marched  with 
Paterson's  regiment  to  Cambridge.  He  was  with  it  during  the 
Boston  siege,  also  in  the  Northern  Department,  and  again  at 
Trenton  and  Princeton.  About  February  15,  1777,  he  was  ap 
pointed  chaplain  of  Sherburne's  "  additional  "  Continental  Regi 
ment,  raised  in  Massachusetts,  Rhode  Island,  and  Connecticut, 
and  later  became  chaplain  of  Gen.  Larned's  Massachusetts  Bri 
gade.  He  served  through  the  Burgoyne  campaign,  and  was  after 
wards  on  the  Hudson.  He  resigned  on  account  of  ill-health, 
March  4,  1780,  and  subsequently  settled  at  Bennington,  Wren- 
tham,  and  Mansfield,  Conn.  His  death  occurred  in  the  fall  of 
1817  at  Shepardstown,  Va.,  where  he  was  visiting  and  preaching. 
In  Sprague's  notice  of  him  he  is  described  as  of  "  commanding 
presence  "  and  an  animated  pulpit  speaker. 

ABNER  BENEDICT, 

Chaplain,  Connecticut. 

Pastor  for  some  time  at  Middlefield,  Conn.;  born  at  North 
Salem,  N.  Y.,  November  9,  1740.  He  was  volunteer  chaplain  of 
one  of  the  Connecticut  State  regiments  at  New  York  during  the 
summer  and  fall  of  1776,  and  was  present  at  the  battles  of  Long 
Island  and  White  Plains.  He  died  at  Roxbury,  N.  J.,  November 
19,  1818. 

TIMOTHY  DWIGHT,  D.D., 

Brigade  CJtaplain,  Continental  Army. 

Eighth  President  of  Yale  College,  1795-1817.  Dr.  Dwight's 
devotion  to  the  Revolutionary  cause,  like  that  of  President  Stiles, 
was  based  upon  something  broader  than  the  popular  sense  of  op 
pression  by  the  mother  country.  Both  seemed  to  regard  the 


258         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

severance  of  the  old  ties  as  necessary  to  the  normal  expansion  of  the 
colonist.  It  was  the  future  with  its  great  promise  for  this  vigorous 
branch  of  Saxons  to  which  they  looked,  and  which  with  them 
was  the  true  end  to  fight  for  after  the  movement  had  once  begun 
as  an  act  of  self-defence.  This  is  apparent  from  the  address, 
quoted  in  the  preface,  delivered  by  Dr.  Dwight  before  the  college 
in  July,  1776.  Its  burden  is  the  coming  America.  To  quote 
again,  he  says  to  the  students  :  u  You  may,  especially  at  the  pres 
ent  period,  be  called  into  the  active  scenes  of  a  military  life. 
Should  this  be  your  honorable  lot,  I  can  say  nothing  which  ought 
more  to  influence  you  than  that  you  fight  for  the  property,  the 
freedom,  the  life,  the  glory,  the  religion  of  the  inhabitants  of  this 
mighty  empire  ;  for  the  cause,  for  the  honor  of  mankind  and 
your  Maker."  That  these  words  and  this  view  made  an  impres 
sion,  and  probably  determined  more  than  one  of  his  hearers  to 
join  the  army,  can  hardly  be  doubted.  It  is  certain  that  the  two 
classes  of  1776  and  1777,  which,  with  others,  must  have  listened 
to  the  address  in  question,  sent  out  some  ardent  and  noble  young 
officers  into  the  service. 

Retiring  from  his  tutorship  at  the  college  in  the  summer  of 
1777,  Dr.  Dwight  soon  after  accepted  a  chaplaincy  in  the  army. 
He  was  appointed  to  Gen.  Parsons'  Connecticut  Continental 
Brigade,  by  Congress,  Oct.  6,  1777,  and  probably  joined  it  about 
the  time  of  Burgoyne's  surrender — the  brigade  being  then  posted 
near  Peekskill  on  the  Hudson.  As  David  Humphreys,  one  of 
Dwight's  college  acquaintances  and  afterwards  intimate  friend, 
was  then  Parsons'  brigade-major,  the  first  suggestion  of  the  ap 
pointment  may  have  come  from  him.  Among  other  graduates 
in  the  brigade  were  Col.  Wyllys,  Lieut.-Cols.  Grosvenor  and  Sher 
man,  and  Major  Gray,  with  some  younger  officers  who  had  been 
students  under  him  during  his  tutorship.  It  is  said  that  the  first 
or  one  of  the  first  army  sermons  the  chaplain  preached  was  in 
spired  by  the  capture  of  Burgoyne,  and  that  it  made  a  stir  in 
camp,  the  text  being  from  Joel  ii.,  20  :  "I  will  remove  far  off 
from  you  the  northern  army."  If  this  sermon  was  printed  at  the 
time,  as  stated  in  one  sketch  of  Dr.  Dwight,  no  copy  of  it  has 
found  its  way  into  our  principal  library  collections.  In  all  prob 
ability  he  preached  such  a  sermon,  as  he  seems  to  have  been 
profoundly  impressed  with  the  event.  When  he  visited  the  Sara- 


Roll  of  Honor.  259 

toga  battle-field,  in  the  course  of  his  travels  years  after,  he  could 
repeat  what  he  may  have  foretold  in  1777.  "  Here,"  he  says,  "  it 
is  impossible  not  to  remember  that  on  this  very  spot  a  contro 
versy  was  decided  upon  which  hung  the  liberty  and  happiness  of 
a  nation,  destined  one  day  to  fill  a  continent,  and  of  its  descend 
ants,  who  will  probably  hereafter  outnumber  the  inhabitants  of 
Europe."  After  passing  the  fall  at  White  Plains  and  along  the 
border  of  Westchester  County,  the  brigade  went  into  winter 
quarters  at  West  Point,  and  began  the  construction  of  the  works 
there.  How  far  the  spot  was  appreciated  by  the  troops  may  be 
inferred  from  one  of  Parsons'  letters  to  Col.  Wadsworth,  at  Hart 
ford,  dated  Feb.  22,  1778,  in  which  he  says  : 

"  You  ask  me  where  I  can  be  found.  This  is  a  puzzling  question  ;  the  camp 
is  at  a  place  on  Hudson's  River  called  West  Point,  opposite  where  Fort  Con 
stitution  once  stood.  The  situation  is  pass'd  description.  .  .  .  To  a  con 
templative  mind  which  delights  in  a  lonely  retreat  from  the  World  to  view  and 
admire  the  stupendous  and  magnificent  works  of  Nature,  't  is  as  beautiful  as 
Sharon,  but  affords  to  a  man  who  loves  the  society  of  the  world  a  prospect 
nearly  allied  to  the  Shades  of  Death  ;  here  I  am  to  be  found  at  present — in 
what  situation  of  mind,  you  will  easily  imagine.  Mr.  Dwight  and  Major 
Humphrey  are  now  here,  and  a  good  companion  now  and  then  adds  to  the 
number  of  my  agreeable  family." 

While  in  the  Highlands  Chaplain  Dwight  was  quartered  at 
times  at  the  Beverly  Robinson  house,  the  scene  of  Arnold's  treason, 
and  on  one  occasion,  with  Humphreys,  visited  Fort  Montgomery, 
which  had  been  captured  and  abandoned  by  the  enemy  during 
the  previous  summer.  His  stay  in  the  army,  however,  was  com 
paratively  brief.  The  death  of  his  father  necessitated  his  return 
to  his  home  at  Northampton,  Mass.,  in  the  fall  of  1778,  where  he 
became  the  settled  pastor  for  several  years.  A  sermon  he 
preached  on  the  occasion  of  the  surrender  of  Cornwallis,  in  1781, 
was  published,  and  copies  of  it  are  extant.  His  text  was  from 
Isaiah  lix.,  18,  19  :  "According  to  their  deeds,  accordingly  he 
will  repay,  fury  to  his  adversaries,  recompense  to  his  enemies. 
.  .  .  When  the  enemy  shall  come  in  like  a  flood,  the  Spirit  of  the 
Lord  shall  lift  up  a  standard  against  him."  To  Washington's 
march  upon  Yorktown  he  refers  as  follows  :  "  The  wisdom  with 
which  this  enterprise  was  planned,  the  secrecy,  expedition,  cour 
age,  and  conduct  with  which  it  was  executed,  the  success  and 


260         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

glory  with  which  it  was  crowned,  and  the  benevolent  manner  in 
which  it  was  used,  cast  the  brightest  lustre  on  our  great  Com 
mander  and  the  army  immediately  under  him."  Extracts  from 
his  funeral  address  on  Washington  appear  in  the  text,  pp. 
156-160. 

Dr.  Dwight  was  born  at  Northampton,  May  14,  1752,  and  died 
at  New  Haven,  January  n,  1817,  the  distinguished  theologian, 
scholar,  and  President  of  the  College.  Member  Connecticut  Cin 
cinnati  Society,  to  which  he  was  elected  July  7,  1795.  He  sub 
sequently  delivered  two  annual  addresses  before  it. 


JABEZ  HAMLIN, 

Captain,  Connecticut  Troops. 

Of  Middletown,  Conn.;  born,  1752.  He  was  the  son  of  Hon. 
Jabez  Hamlin,  class  of  1728,  for  many  years  a  man  of  note  in  the 
colony  and  State,  having  been  elected  forty-three  times  to  the 
legislature,  and  repeatedly  chosen  Speaker.  When  the  war 
opened  young  Jabez  was  ensign  of  the  Middletown  "  training 
band "  under  Capt.  Return  Jonathan  Meigs,  afterwards  the 
famous  Revolutionary  colonel,  and  upon  the  Lexington  alarm  he 
marched  with  the  company  to  Boston.  The  record  of  this  ser 
vice  is  preserved  in  the  archives  at  Hartford.  Respecting  Ham- 
lin's  subsequent  career,  Dr.  Field  states  in  his  Middletown 
"  Sketches,"  that  he  became  captain  in  1776,  and  died  in  the 
service  at  East  Chester,  New  York,  September  2oth  of  that  year. 
He  may  have  belonged  to  one  of  the  militia  regiments  that  joined 
Washington  under  Gen.  Wolcott  about  the  time  of  the  battle  of 
Long  Island. 

WILLIAM  PLUMBE, 

Brigade  Chaplain,  Continental  Army. 

Resident  of  Middletown,  Conn.;  born  in  Westfield  Society, 
January  6,  1749.  Entering  the  ministry,  he  became  a  chaplain  in 
the  army  in  the  second  year  of  the  war,  and  served  in  that 


Roll  of  Honor.  261 

capacity  for  over  four  years.  He  joined  Col.  Thomas  Marshall's 
Massachusetts  State  Regt.,  with  commission  dated  September  7, 
1776,  and  was  stationed  at  Castle  William,  in  Boston  harbor,  for 
some  months.  When  Marshall's  regiment  was  reorganized  for 
the  Continental  Line  in  1777,  Mr.  Plumbe  continued  with  it  as 
chaplain,  with  a  new  commission  dated  January  ist  of  that  year. 
In  the  spring  the  command  marched  to  Ticonderoga,  where  it 
was  assigned  to  Gen.  De  Fermoy's  brigade,  and  where,  upon  the 
request  of  many  officers,  the  General  appointed  him  brigade 
chaplain.  Mr.  Plumbe  doubtless  participated  in  the  retreat 
from  Ticonderoga  early  in  July,  1777,  after  which  his  brigade 
formed  a  part  of  Gen.  Gates'  army  above  Albany.  Gates  soon 
appointed  him  Chaplain  of  the  Hospitals  in  the  Northern  Depart 
ment,  an  office  created  by  act  of  the  Continental  Congress,  with 
commission  dated  August  20,  1777,  and  in  this  capacity  he 
served  until  the  reduction  of  the  army,  January  i,  1781,  when  he 
retired.  He  was  thus  in  the  field  throughout  the  Burgoyne 
campaign.  These  facts  appear  from  records  in  the  Pension 
Bureau,  Washington.  After  the  war  Mr.  Plumbe  settled  at  Mid- 
dletown,  and  although  still  known  as  a  clergyman,  studied  and 
practised  law,  and  held  a  number  of  civil  officers.  He  died 
June  2,  1843,  aged  ninety-four  years,  being  at  that  time  the  oldest 
graduate  of  the  college. 

NATHAN  STRONG,  D.D., 

Chaplain,  Connecticut. 

Pastor  at  Hartford,  and  eminent  as  a  divine.  In  the  sketch  of 
Dr.  Strong  in  Sprague's  "  Annals,"  the  writer  says  :  "  His  ener 
gies  were  all  enlisted  in  his  country's  cause,  and  every  service 
that  he  could  render  her  he  did  render  promptly  and  cheerfully. 
For  some  time  he  served  in  the  capacity  of  chaplain.  His  vigor 
ous  pen  was  often  at  work  in  endeavoring  to  vindicate  his  coun 
try's  rights,  and  to  quicken  the  country's  pulse  to  a  higher  tone 
of  patriotism."  That  his  interest  and  influence  were  appreciated, 
appears  in  the  fact  that  the  Connecticut  Cincinnati  Society 
elected  him  a  member  at  the  same  time  that  Dr.  Stiles  was  elected 
in  1784.  Dr.  Strong  served  as  chaplain  in  Col.  Samuel  Wyllys' 
regiment  in  the  summer  of  1776,  and  was  probably  with  it  at  the 


262         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

battle  of  Long  Island  and  the  subsequent  retreats.  On  the  October 
returns  he  is  reported  "  absent  sick."  He  was  born  October  16, 
1748  ;  died  December  25,  I8I6.1 

Class  of  1770. 

JOHN  DAVENPORT, 

Major,  Connecticut  State  Troops. 

Judge  Abraham  Davenport's  family,  of  Stamford,  was  noted 
for  its  public  spirit  during  the  Revolution.  The  father,  class  of 
1732,  was  for  many  years  prominent  in  civil  affairs.  He  took  a 
deep  interest  in  the  progress  of  the  war,  doing  what  he  could  by 
personal  effort  for  the  troops.  During  the  campaign  of  1776 
around  New  York  he  cared  for  the  sick  soldiers  returning  home  ; 
"  filled  his  own  houses  with  them,"  says  President  Dwight,  "  and 
devoted  to  their  relief  his  own  time  and  that  of  his  family,  while 
he  provided  elsewhere  the  best  accommodations  for  such  as  he 
could  not  receive."  His  eldest  son,  John  Davenport,  class  of 
1770,  born  at  Stamford,  January  1 6,  1752,  seems  to  have  served 
for  a  time  as  commissary  of  State  troops.  He  appeared  also  on 
several  important  legislative  committees  on  army  affairs.  At  the 
June  session  of  the  Assembly,  1777,  he  was  appointed  major  of 
a  regiment  raised  for  six  months  for  State  defence.  He  was  a 
lawyer  by  profession,  and  in  after  life  became  a  member  of  Con 
gress,  serving  eighteen  years  from  1799.  He  died  November  28, 
1830.  His  younger  brother  James,  class  of  1779,  was  also  in  the 
service.  Member  Connecticut  Cincinnati  Society. 


1  Phineas  Fanning,  of  this  class,  of  Riverhead,  L.  I.,  was  a  Provincial  col 
onel  in  his  county  in  1775-6,  but  appears  to  have  remained  on  Long  Island 
after  its  occupation  by  the  enemy,  though  not  entering  their  service.  He  was 
doubtless  a  brother  of  Col.  Edmund  Fanning,  the  loyalist,  class  of  1757,  men 
tioned  on  pp.  98  and  109. 


Roll  of  Honor.  263 

ANDREW  HILLYER, 

Captain,  Connecticut  State  Dragoons. 

Col.  Hillyer,  as  he  was  afterwards  known,  resided  at  Simsbury, 
Conn.,  where  he  was  born  June  4,  1743.  Before  entering  college 
he  served  as  a  soldier  in  Amherst's  campaign  in  1760,  and  as  a 
sergeant  at  Havana  in  1762.  Upon  the  Lexington  alarm  he 
marched  to  Boston,  and  remained  in  camp  about  a  month.  Re 
turning  to  Simsbury  he  was  appointed  a  lieutenant  in  the  town 
company,  and  joined  Col.  Huntington's  regiment  at  the  Roxbury 
camp  in  July.  About  a  month  later,  or  August  23d,  Huntington 
made  Hillyer  his  Adjutant,  speaking  of  him  at  the  same  time  as 
"an  old  soldier,  a  sensible  man,  and  good  scholar."  A  mem 
ber  of  his  company  describes  him  as  "  a  handsome,  sprightly 
young  man,  who  had  in  early  life  received  a  college  education." 
His  term  in  campi  expired  in  December,  but  he  stayed  three 
months  longer  as  a  volunteer.  In  the  campaign  of  1776 
around  New  York  he  appears  as  adjutant  of  Col.  Jonathan  Petti- 
bone's  militia  regiment,  and  was  with  it  at  Kip's  Bay,  on  the  East 
River,  when  the  enemy  landed  on  September  i5th,  and  took  the 
city.  During  the  panic  of  the  militia  that  morning  his  command 
sustained  some  loss.  In  the  summer  of  1777  he  served  under 
Putnam  on  the  Hudson,  and  in  1779  was  appointed  Captain  of  a 
troop  in  the  Fifth  Regiment,  Connecticut  State  Light  Dragoons, 
commanded  by  Major  Thomas  Bull.  With  this  he  was  stationed 
at  one  time  at  Horse  Neck,  and  engaged  in  a  dash  on  Col.  Bear- 
more,  the  tory  partisan,  who  had  proved  a  terror  to  the  inhabi 
tants  near  the  lines.  An  account  of  his  exploit  appears  at  the 
close  of  Hinman's  "Connecticut."  He  also  marched  to  the  relief 
of  New  Haven  on  the  occasion  of  Tryon's  raid.  In  1782  he  was 
engaged  in  the  duty  of  hunting  up  deserters  in  the  New  England 
States. 

After  the  war  Hillyer  was  appointed  Colonel  of  the  Fifth 
Dragoons,  and  became  a  man  of  influence  in  his  locality.  He 
lived  to  an  advanced  age,  his  death  occurring  at  Granby  in  Feb 
ruary,  1828. 


264         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

JOHN  PORTER, 

Major  >  Continental  A  rmy. 

Son  of  Rev.  John  Porter,  graduate  of  Harvard,  pastor  at  N. 
Bridgewater,  now  Brockton,  Mass.  He  was  born  at  Brockton, 
February  27,  1752,  and  fitted  for  college  at  Lebanon,  Conn. 
Studying  for  the  ministry  he  both  preached  and  taught  school  in 
the  vicinity  of  his  home  until  the  second  year  of  the  war,  when  he 
raised  a  company  and  joined  the  Thirteenth  Massachusetts  Con 
tinentals  under  Col.  Wigglesworth.  His  captain's  commission 
was  dated  January  i,  1777.  In  the  summer  his  regiment  went 
into  camp  at  Peekskill,  where  he  was  promoted  major,  June  13, 
1777.  Ordered  to  join  Gates'  force  to  the  northward,  he  served 
through  the  Saratoga  campaign,  and  then  marched  to  Washing 
ton's  army,  wintering  at  Valley  Forge  in  1777-78.  In  June  fol 
lowing  he  was  present  at  Monmouth,  and  shortly  after  marched 
to  Rhode  Island,  where  he  was  engaged  in  the  battle  of  August 
29,  1778,  under  Gen.  Sullivan.  There  he  was  for  some  time  in 
command  of  his  regiment.  In  January,  1779,  by  Sullivan's 
orders,  Porter  took  post  with  a  detachment  in  the  vicinity  of 
Newport  to  watch  the  enemy's  shipping  and  secure  cattle.  In 
1780,  his  regiment  having  rejoined  Washington's  army  on  the 
Hudson,  his  military  record  was  marred  by  a  painful  experience. 
While  on  the  march  with  the  main  force  near  Hackensack,  N.  J., 
about  September  ist,  Major  Porter  resented  certain  expressions 
used  toward  him  by  Brig.-Gen.  Poor,  of  New  Hampshire,  and  a 
duel  was  the  result.  The  General  was  mortally  wounded,  and 
died  on  the  8th,  much  regretted  as  being  one  of  the  bravest  offi 
cers  in  the  service.  While  duels  were  not  uncommon  in  the 
Revolutionary  army,  this  particular  affair  seems  to  have  been 
kept  a  secret,  as  no  reference  is  made  to  the  true  cause  of  the 
General's  death  in  any  known  published  or  unpublished  account 
written  at  the  time.  (See  "  Porter  Genealogy,"  inserted  sheet, 
p.  51.)  Surgeon  Thacher  states  that  he  died  of  "putrid  fever" 
after  about  a  week's  illness.  Major  Porter  continued  in  the  ser 
vice,  and  in  the  winter  of  1780-81  appears  as  Brigade-Major  of 
the  Second  Massachusetts  Brigade,  encamped  at  West  Point. 
January  i,  1781,  he  was  transferred  to  Col.  C.  Smith's  Sixth 
Massachusetts,  and  thereafter  was  on  duty  along  the  Hudson. 


Roll  of  Honor.  265 

On  November  ist  of  that  year  he  appears  as  member  of  a  court- 
martial,  of  which  his  classmate,  Col.  Isaac  Sherman,  was  presi 
dent.  In  December  following  he  was  granted  a  furlough  by  Gen. 
Heath,  but  failed  to  return  to  camp.  His  Colonel  reporting  in 
June,  1782,  that  he  had  gone  to  France,  a  court  of  inquiry  was 
held,  and  he  was  dismissed  the  service  by  Washington's  orders, 
October  12,  1782,  for  violation  of  the  Articles  of  War  in  going 
"  beyond  sea  "  without  proper  authority.  It  is  said  that  Porter 
went  to  France  with  Lafayette,  and  was  there  presented  to  the 
king  and  queen.  On  his  return  home  he  sailed  for  the  West 
Indies  on  business,  and  remained  there  until  his  death,  which  oc 
curred,  as  announced  in  the  New  York  papers,  at  Port  au  Prince, 
December,  1790. 


ISAAC  SHERMAN, 

Lieut.  -Col.  Commandant,  Continental  Army. 

Roger  Sherman,  signer  of  the  Declaration,  gave  his  two  eldest 
sons,  William  and  Isaac,  the  benefit  of  a  liberal  education  which 
he  himself  had  not  received.  They  graduated  in  the  same  class, 
1770,  and  both  served  in  the  Revolutionary  army.  A  third 
brother,  John,  non-graduate,  was  also  in  the  war,  serving  as 
Lieutenant  and  Paymaster  in  the  Connecticut  Line  from  1776  to 
1783.  The  father,  who  was  Yale's  Treasurer  from  1765  to  1776, 
lived  at  the  time  and  until  his  death  on  Chapel  Street,  opposite 
the  college  grounds,  where  the  house  still  stands. 

Isaac  Sherman  was  born  at  New  Milford,  Conn.,  June  22,  1753. 
He  proved  to  be  a  valuable  officer,  rising  from  the  rank  of  cap 
tain  to  the  command  of  a  regiment,  and  seeing  much  and  varied 
service.  From  his  letter  to  his  father,  printed  on  page  25,  it  ap 
pears  that  he  intended  to  enter  mercantile  life  and  was  watching 
his  opportunities  in  Massachusetts  when  the  war  broke  out.  That 


266         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

event  absorbing  public  attention,  he  fell  into  line  with  the  great 
body  of  young  men  for  the  country's  defence,  and  entered  the 
Massachusetts  service  as  a  captain.  According  to  the  Cincinnati 
record  his  appointment  dated  April  27,  1775.  During  that  year 
he  served  in  Col.  Gerrish's  regiment,  a  portion  of  which  fought  at 
Bunker  Hill.  Sherman's  company  does  not  appear  to  have  been 
present,  but  was  probably  on  duty  in  the  vicinity  of  Cambridge  ; 
later  in  the  year  he  was  there  at  "  Redoubt  No.  i,"  or  "  Brookline 
Fort,"  as  he  calls  it  in  his  letter,  on  Sewall's  Point.  In  the  new 
arrangement  for  1776  his  regiment  was  known  as  the  "26th  Foot," 
Continental  Service,  under  Col.  Loammi  Baldwin,  which,  after  the 
siege  of  Boston,  went  with  the  army  to  New  York  and  took  part 
in  the  movements  there  and  in  New  Jersey  to  the  close  of  the 
campaign.  March  26,  1776,  he  was  promoted  major  of  the  regi 
ment,  and  as  such  appears  on  duty  as  officer  of  the  day  and  super 
intendent  of  works  at  New  York  through  the  summer  and  fall. 
Most  of  the  time  his  brigade  was  encamped  near  the  foot  of  Canal 
Street  on  the  North  River,  and  did  not  cross  to  the  Brooklyn 
front  at  the  time  of  the  battle  of  Long  Island.  After  New  York 
City  was  abandoned  the  army  encamped  on  Washington  Heights, 
and  in  October  marched  to  White  Plains.  On  the  way,  on  the 
1 8th,  Sherman's  brigade,  then  under  Col.  Glover,  encountered  the 
British  Light  Infantry  near  New  Rochelle,  and  held  its  own 
bravely.  From  White  Plains,  where  the  brigade  was  not  actively 
engaged,  a  portion  of  the  army  withdrew  into  New*  Jersey,  and 
later  won  the  victories  of  Trenton  and  Princeton,  which  greatly 
revived  the  spirits  of  the  soldiers  and  hopes  of  the  nation.  As 
stated  in  the  text,  page  59,  Sherman  is  remembered  to  have  led  the 
van  of  the  Continental  troops  on  the  night  march  to  Princeton, 
January  2-3,  1777. 

Upon  the  formation  of  the  Continental  Line  Sherman  entered 
the  service  of  his  own  State — Connecticut, — having  been  brought 
to  Gov.  Trumbull's  notice  by  Washington  as  follows,  in  a  letter 
of  October  9,  1776  :  "I  would  mention  Major  Sherman,  son  of 
Mr.  Sherman,  of  Congress,  a  young  gentleman  who  appears  to  me, 
and  who  is  generally  esteemed,  an  active  and  valuable  officer," 
and  one  who  "  promises  good  services  to  his  country."  He  was 
appointed  Lieut. -Colonel  of  Col.  Chas.  Webb's  Second  Connecti 
cut  Line,  commission  dated  January  i,  1777,  and  went  into  camp 


Roll  of  Honor.  267 

with  it  at  Peekskill.  During  the  summer  and  fall  he  served  in 
Putnam's  command  on  the  Hudson  until  November  i4th,  when  the 
regiment  was  ordered  to  join  Washington's  army  in  Pennsylvania. 
Soon  after  its  arrival  it  was  engaged  in  the  skirmish  at  White- 
marsh,  December  8th,  and  suffered  some  loss  ;  it  then  wintered  at 
Valley  Forge.  In  June  following,  the  army  moved  out  and  fought 
the  battle  of  Monmouth,  where  Sherman  appears  to  have  been 
actively  engaged  in  the  detachment  under  Gen.  Wayne  ;  and  in  the 
fall  of  the  year,  1778,  he  was  Lieut.-Colonel  of  one  of  the  battal 
ions  in  Gen.  Chas.  Scott's  Light  Infantry  Corps,  detailed  for 
special  service  at  the  front  in  Westchester  County.  In  the  fol 
lowing  summer,  1779,  he  was  again  detached  to  serve  with  Col. 
Meigs  in  Wayne's  Light  Corps,  and  was  present  with  it  at  the 
famous  storming  of  Stony  Point  on  the  night  of  July  i5th.  His 
experience  with  Wayne  after  the  affair  is  noticed  on  page  104. 
At  the  close  of  the  year  Sherman  was  promoted  to  the  command 
of  the  Eighth  Regiment,  late  Col.  Russell's,  with  commission 
dated  October  28,  1779.  By  a  recent  act  of  Congress,  all  newly 
appointed  regimental  commanders  were  to  be  styled  Lieut.- 
Colonel  Commandant,  and  by  that  rank  he  was  thereafter  known. 
(See  page  no.)  In  1780  he  served  along  the  Hudson  in  the  main 
army,  and  remained  there  until  January  i,  1783,  when  he  was  re 
tired  by  regimental  consolidations.  During  1781  he  commanded 
the  Fifth  Connecticut.  Washington  intended  to  detach  him  to 
Lafayette's  corps,  destined  for  Virginia  that  year,  but  Sherman's 
absence  from  camp  prevented.  He  figured  in  connection  with 
Hull's  affair  early  in  the  year,  noticed  on  page  131. 

Sherman  was  an  excellent  disciplinarian,  as  several  of  his  regi 
mental  orders,  still  preserved,  clearly  indicate.  He  enforces 
neatness,  proper  saluting,  exact  marching  and  drilling,  and  ap 
peals  to  the  soldier's  pride  and  ambition.  His  own  record  was 
among  the  most  honorable  in  the  Connecticut  Line.  After  the 
war,  in  1785,  he  was  appointed  by  Congress  one  of  the  assistant- 
surveyors  of  Western  territory,  and  served  a  while  in  that  capaci 
ty.  Later  he  was  interested  in  the  "  Mississippi  Company,"  and 
proposed  raising  a  band  of  old  soldiers  to  settle  on  the  banks  of 
the  river,  but  the  scheme  fell  through.  His  later  years  were 
passed  in  Connecticut  and  New  Jersey.  He  died  unmarried  in 
Hunterdon  County,  N.  J.,  February  16,  1819,  being  at  the  time  a 


268         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

Revolutionary  pensioner  under  the  act  of  1818.     Member  Con 
necticut  Cincinnati  Society. 


WILLIAM  SHERMAN, 

Paymaster,  Continental  Army. 

Eldest  son  of  Roger  Sherman  and  brother  of  the  preceding  ; 
born,  probably,  at  New  Milford,  November  23,  1751.  He  ap 
pears  in  1780  as  Lieutenant  and  Paymaster  of  Col.  Seth  Warner's 
4<  additional "  Continental  Regiment,  which  was  raised  in  the 
Hampshire  Grants  and  other  parts  of  New  England  in  1777.  It 
was  generally  stationed  in  the  Northern  Department.  After  the 
war  Sherman  engaged  in  business  in  New  Haven,  where  he  died 
June  26,  I789.1 

Class  of  1771.] 

JOHN  BROWN, 

Colonel,  Massachusetts  Troops. 

The  services  and  death  of  this  high-minded  and  capable  officer 
have  already  been  referred  to  in  the  text.  He  was  a  native  of 
Haverhill,  Massachusetts  ;  born  there  October  19,  1744.  During 
his  college  course  an  incident  occurred  which  proved  him  to  be 
a  youth  of  spirit  and  action,  qualities  which  were  subsequently 
displayed  by  him  in  a  marked  manner  in  the  field.  Dissatisfac 
tion  with  "  Commons  "  led  to  quite  a  revolt  among  the  students 
during  his  Senior  year,  in  which  he  was  evidently  one  of  the 

1  Rev.  Joseph  Buckminster,  D.D.,  of  this  class,  who  was  tutor  at  the  college 
from  1774  to  1778,  appears  as  Chaplain  on  the  rolls  of  Col.  Chas.  Webb's  Con 
necticut  Regiment  in  October-November,  1776.  The  college  was  broken  up 
at  that  time,  and  he  may  have  gone  to  the  army  for  a  brief  term. 


Roll  of  Honor.  269 

leaders.  We  have  this  reference  to  it  from  his  own  pen  in  a  let 
ter  written  to  his  relative,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Arnold,  Providence, 
R.  I.,  date  April  7,  1771  : 

4 '  I  must  tell  you  that  there  has  been  much  disorder  in  college  since  I  wrote 
you  my  former  letter.  We  complained  that  we  were  oppressed  in  respect  to 
Commons,  which  was  most  manifestly  the  case.  But  the  authority  of  col 
lege  not  being  of  our  opinion,  and  refusing  to  redress  us  in  our  way,  we  left 
college  and  went  home  ;  and  in  about  three  weeks  I,  with  several  others  of  my 
class,  were  cited  to  meet  the  trustees  of  sd  college  on  the  23d  instant,  April. 
What  the  Inquisition  or  Star  Chamber  Court  may  determine  concerning  the 
matter  is  uncertain.  They  intend  to  expel  several,  but  as  we  have  the  civil 
authority  on  our  side  we  do  not  intend  to  be  expelled.  So  that  it  is  impracti 
cable  for  me  to  come  to  Providence  until  after  our  '  trial.'  " 

How  this  resulted  does  not  appear,  but  there  was  certainly  no 
expulsion,  as  Brown  graduated  with  full  honors.  One  may  infer 
from  Humphreys'  remembrance  of  him,  page  124,  that  he  was  a 
pronounced  and  popular  fellow — handsome,  athletic,  and  intel 
lectually  gifted.  Studying  law,  he  practised  his  profession  first 
at  Johnstown,  N.  Y.,  and  then  at  Pittsfield,  Mass.,  where  the  war 
found  him  in  active  sympathy  with  the  Colonial  cause.  As  stated 
in  the  text,  he  was  a  member  of  the  Massachusetts  Provincial 
Congress  in  1774,  and  early  in  1775  was  despatched  into  Canada 
to  ascertain  the  temper  of  the  people  and  situation  of  affairs. 
When  the  Connecticut  party  passed  through  Pittsfield  in  May  to 
attempt  the  capture  of  Ticonderoga,  he  joined  it  and  took  a  lead 
ing  part  in  the  surprise  and  seizure  of  that  important  fortress. 
On  July  6,  1775,  he  was  appointed  Major  of  Colonel  Easton's 
regiment  from  Western  Massachusetts,  and  served  through  the 
year  in  the  Northern  Department  under  Montgomery,  who  thought 
very  highly  of  his  services.  How  Major  Brown  was  generally 
engaged  and  what  part  he  took  in  the  Quebec  campaign  appears 
on  pages  27-30.  July  29,  1776,  Congress  appointed  him  Lieuten 
ant-Colonel  of  Elmore's  Continental  Regiment,  raised  mainly  in 
Connecticut,  and  on  August  ist,  voted  that  he  should  take  rank 
from  November  20,  1775.  Elmore's  regiment  was  stationed  at 
Albany  and  Fort  Stanwix,  but  Brown  does  not  seem  to  have 
joined  it;  and  in  February,  1777,  he  resigned  his  commission, 
which  Congress  accepted  March  i5th.  In  the  following  summer 
he  was  out  again  as  colonel  of  a  Berkshire  County  regiment,  and 
did  some  dashing  and  effective  work  in  Burgoyne's  rear,  as  stated 


270         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

on  page  80.  After  this  he  made  an  attempt  on  the  British  post 
on  Diamond  Island,  in  Lake  George,  but  failed  through  lack  of 
sufficient  boats  and  shipping.  That  he  alarmed  the  enemy,  how 
ever,  by  this  bold  manoeuvre  is  evident  from  the  account  given 
by  the  British  Captain  Hall  in  his  "  History  of  the  War."  Brown 
then  retired  to  Pittsfield,  or  Sandisfield,  where  his  family  lived, 
and  resumed  his  law  practice  ;  and  in  1780  he  appears  on  the 
Civil  List  as  Judge  of  Common  Pleas  in  Berkshire  County.  In 
the  summer  of  that  year  he  again,  and  for  the  last  time,  took  the 
field — on  this  occasion  going  as  colonel  of  a  regiment  of  levies 
raised  to  serve  for  three  months  from  July  i4th.  The  enemy,  with 
their  Indian  allies,  were  then  threatening  the  Mohawk  valley,  and 
Brown  marched  in  that  direction.  On  October  ipth,  while  hasten 
ing  to  co-operate  with  General  Van  Rensselaer,  of  New  York,  he 
was  led  by  false  intelligence  into  an  ambush,  where  he  and  many 
of  his  men  were  killed  at  the  first  fire.  This  was  in  the  settle 
ment  of  Stone  Arabia.  The  Colonel's  untimely  fate  was  deeply 
and  widely  felt,  his  earlier  services  having  made  him  very  gener 
ally  known  in  the  north.  Even  the  enemy  were  assured  that  in 
causing  his  death  they  had  deprived  us  of  no  ordinary  soldier. 
Haldimand,  commanding  in  Canada,  reported  to  Lord  Germaine 
that  Sir  John  Johnson  had  destroyed  settlements  and  "  killed  a 
Colonel  Browne,  a  notorious  and  active  rebel."  A  letter  pub 
lished  in  the  London  Chronicle  January  25,  1781,  referring  to 
Johnson's  incursion,  says  :  "  He  was  attacked  by  a  notable  parti- 
zan,  Colonel  Brown,  who  had  greatly  distinguished  himself  in  re 
ducing  the  garrison  of  Fort  Chamblee  to  surrender  in  1776,  and 
taking  the  baggage  and  cutting  off  part  of  General  Burgoyne's 
rear  at  Fort  Ticonderoga  Landing  in  1777.  This  successful  par- 
tizan  was  killed  on  the  spot  with  sixty  of  his  men." 

Many  other  interesting  facts  respecting  the  Colonel,  especially 
his  experiences  with  Arnold,  may  be  found  in  Smith's  "  History 
of  Pittsfield,"  Stone's  "  Life  of  Brant,"  and  other  works.  He 
fell  on  his  thirty-fifth  birthday.  In  1836  his  son  erected  a  monu 
ment  to  his  memory,  which  stands  near  the  Dutch  Reformed 
Church  at  Stone  Arabia. 


Roll  of  Honor.  271 

DAVID  HUMPHREYS, 

Lieut. -Colonel r,  and  A.  D.  C.  to  Washington. 

Humphreys  was  perhaps  the  most  prominent  of  our  Revolu 
tionary  graduates,  his  position  in  the  family  of  the  Commander- 
in-Chief  giving  him  a  certain  distinction  which  no  other  rank  or 
office  could  confer.  His  good  fortune  in  the  army  was  also  a 
stepping-stone  to  other  dignities  in  civil  life. 

The  Colonel  or  General,  as  he  was  afterwards  called,  was  the 
son  of  Rev.  Daniel  Humphreys,  class  of  1732,  of  Derby,  Conn., 
where  he  was  born  July  10,  1752.  He  appears  in  the  army  first 
as  a  volunteer  and  acting-adjutant  of  one  of  the  Connecticut  mili 
tia  regiments  at  New  York,  in  the  summer  of  1776 — probably 
that  commanded  by  Col.  Jabez  Thompson,  who  was  a  Derby 
man.  Humphreys  himself  states  that  it  was  one  of  the  last  to 
leave  the  city  on  September  i5th,  and  that  he  took  part  in  the  try 
ing  scenes  of  the  day.  Remaining  with  the  army  some  time 
longer  he  returned  to  Connecticut,  and  upon  the  organization  of 
the  Continental  Line  was  appointed  captain  in  the  Sixth  Regt., 
with  commission  dating  January  i,  1777.  This  regiment,  com 
manded  later  in  the  year  by  Col.  Meigs,  was  recruited  mainly 
from  New  Haven  County.  During  the  following  spring,  in 
March  or  April,  he  received  the  appointment  of  brigade-major 
(asst.  adj.  gen.)  on  the  staff  of  Gen.  Parsons,  and  doubtless  had 
much  to  do  with  the  mustering  and  equipping  of  the  new  regi 
ments  which  early  in  the  summer  were  to  march  to  the  Hudson. 
Meantime,  for  his  second  experience  in  active  warfare,  he  accom 
panied  Col.  Meigs  on  his  famous  Long  Island  expedition  in  May, 
when  that  officer  with  170  men  sailed  across  the  sound  from  Guil- 
ford  in  whale-boats,  proceeded  to  Sag  Harbor,  burned  twelve  of 
the  enemy's  supply  schooners  and  a  large  amount  of  hay,  took 
ninety  prisoners,  and  returned  without  the  loss  of  a  man.  Gen. 
Parsons  despatched  Humphreys  to  Washington  with  an  account 
of  this  success,  which  was  probably  the  first  occasion  on  which 
the  Major  had  a  personal  interview  with  the  Commander-in-Chief. 
In  the  summer  and  fall  of  the  year  he  was  with  Parsons'  brigade 
in  Putnam's  force  on  the  Hudson,  generally  in  the  vicinity  of 
Peekskill,  and  was  quite  active  in  the  alarm  occasioned  by  the 
approach  of  the  enemy  up  the  river  when  Burgoyne  was  marching 


272         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

down  from  the  north.  The  following  winter  and  spring  were 
spent  mainly  at  West  Point,  where  his  brigade  began  the  con 
struction  of  the  permanent  works.  In  the  latter  part  of  February 
of  that  year,  1778,  he  undertook  a  small  expedition  himself. 
With  thirty  volunteers  he  made  a  descent  on  the  Long  Island 
shore  near  Smithtown,  to  destroy  a  large  ship-of-war  aground 
there.  The  ship,  however,  had  been  floated  the  day  before  ;  but 
the  party  burned  a  brig,  schooner,  and  sloop,  and  returned  with 
out  loss.  In  the  summer  of  this  year  we  find  him  taking  his  turn 
as  "  Brigade-Major  for  the  day  "  in  Washington's  army  as  it  lay 
encamped  near  White  Plains  after  the  battle  of  Monmouth.  In 
the  following  winter  his  brigade  went  into  quarters  at  Redding, 
Conn.,  and  there  on  December  18,  1778,  Gen.  Putnam  appointed 
him  one  of  his  Aids.  This  position  he  held  through  the  year  1779 
and  into  the  spring  of  1780,  when  Putnam,  through  disability,  was 
unable  to  return  to  the  army.  Humphreys,  however,  had  many 
friends  in  the  service,  among  others,  Gen.  Greene,  who  at  that 
juncture  invited  him  to  join  his  staff  temporarily.  Writing  to 
that  General  from  Hartford,  on  May  23,  1780,  he  says  that  the 
arrival  of  the  French  fleet  and  other  circumstances  "  will  induce 
me  probably  to  accept  of  the  kind  offer  of  coming  into  your  fam 
ily,  in  the  manner  you  propose."  Greene  was  at  that  time  with  the 
troops  near  Morristown,  N.  J.,  and  early  in  June  Humphreys 
joined  him  there.  On  the  23d  of  that  month  occurred  the  skir 
mish  or  battle  of  Springfield,  N.  J.,  noticed  in  the  text,  where 
Greene  was  in  command  with  Humphreys  at  his  side  serving 
actively  as  Aid.  The  latter  was  directed  by  Greene  to  send  word 
of  the  engagement  to  Washington,  which  he  did  in  the  interest 
ing  letter  printed  on  p.  118. 

On  the  same  day,  June  23,  1780,  Washington  appointed 
Humphreys  an  Aid  on  his  own  staff,  and  with  the  Commander- 
in-Chief  he  served  until  the  close  of  the  war.  Col.  Hull,  class  of 
1772,  states  in  his  "Memoirs"  that  it  was  through  his  recom 
mendation,  conveyed  through  Gen.  Parsons,  that  Humphreys  re 
ceived  this  last  and  enviable  appointment.  (See  notice  of  Hull.) 
From  this  time  he  remained  constantly  on  duty  in  Washington's 
family,  "  never  for  a  moment  "  having  been  absent,  as  he  writes 
in  1784,  except  on  official  business  ;  and  here  too  began  that 
close  personal  friendship  between  himself  and  his  chief  which 


Roll  of  Honor.  273 

continued  through  life.  About  six  months  after  his  appointment 
Humphreys  received  permission  to  undertake  a  daring  project — 
nothing  less  than  the  capture  of  Sir  Henry  Clinton,  the  British 
commander  at  New  York.1  On  Christmas  Day,  1780,  with  three 
officers  and  twenty-seven  volunteers,  he  started  down  the  Hud 
son  in  one  barge  and  two  whale-boats, — his  plan  being  to  reach 
Clinton's  head-quarters  at  the  foot  of  Broadway  at  night,  surprise 
the  guards,  and  carry  him  off  under  cover  of  the  darkness.  The 
scheme  failed,  however,  as  a  fresh  northwest  wind  rose  in  the 
evening  and  made  a  landing  impossible.  The  boats  were  driven 
past  the  city,  through  the  English  shipping  and  the  Narrows, 
down  to  Sandy  Hook,  whence  the  party  made  their  way  safely  to 
Brunswick  and  returned  to  the  army  a  week  later,  on  New  Year's 
Day,  1781.  During  the  following  summer  and  fall  occurred  the 
Yorktown  campaign,  in  which  Humphreys  participated.  After 
the  surrender  he  was  commissioned  by  Washington  to  convey  the 
captured  British  flags  to  Congress,  which  body  voted  him  an  ele 
gant  sword  on  the  occasion.  Humphreys'  grade  in  the  army  was 
still  that  of  captain,  but  on  November  12,  1782,  Congress  gave 
him  the  additional  staff  rank  of  lieut.-colonel,  to  date  from  June 
23,  1780,  when  he  was  first  appointed. 

At  the  close  of  the  war  Humphreys  accompanied  Washington 
on  his  entry  into  New  York,  November  25,  1783,  when  the  city 
was  evacuated  by  the  enemy,  and  went  with  him  to  Annapolis, 
where  the  chief  resigned  his  commission.  His  civil  career  from 
this  time  is  too  well  known  to  be  noticed  here.  He  held  various 
diplomatic  positions,  first  in  1784,  as  Secretary  of  Legation  to 
Jefferson  in  France,  then  in  1790,  Minister  to  Portugal,  and  in 
1797,  Minister  to  Spain.  He  lived  in  Washington's  family  at 
Mount  Vernon  at  different  times,  and  finally  settled  in  his  native 
town  of  Derby,  where  he  engaged  in  manufactures  and  agricul 
ture.  See  in  text,  p.  153,  an  interesting  letter  written  to  his 
brother  from  Mount  Vernon,  in  1786.  His  poetical  works  are 
familiar.  In  1786,  he  was  appointed  colonel  of  a  new  United 
States  Regiment  raised  in  Connecticut,  and  in  February,  1787, 
during  Shay's  rebellion,  was  on  duty  with  150  men  guarding  the 

1  Lieut.  Pennington,  of  the  artillery,  states  in  his  journal  that  the  German 
General  Knyphausen  was  the  officer  to  be  seized  ;  but  others  say  Clinton, 
which  was  more  likely. 


274         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

arsenal  at  Springfield,  Mass.  This  command,  however,  was  not 
kept  up.  During  the  1812  war  the  old  Revolutionary  soldiers  of 
Connecticut  organized  as  "  Veteran  Volunteers "  with  Hum 
phreys  as  "  General-in-Chief."  He  was  also  Major-General  of 
the  State  Militia,  and  made  preparations  for  home  defence.  Oc 
casionally  he  represented  his  town  in  the  legislature.  He  died  at 
New  Haven,  February  21,  1818,  and  was  buried  in  the  old  ceme 
tery,  where  a  monument  stands  over  his  grave  with  a  fitting  in 
scription  in  Latin.  Member  Connecticut  Cincinnati  Society.1 


MARK  LEAVENWORTH, 

Deputy  Adjutant-General,  Connecticut. 

Resident  of  New  Haven;  born  at  Waterbury,  May  26,  1752. 
By  profession  a  lawyer.  In  the  winter  of  1776-77  he  appears  as 
secretary  and  assistant  adjutant-general  to  General  Wooster  while 
he  was  stationed  on  the  Westchester  border.  After  the  war  he 
went  to  Paris,  where  he  died  Nov.  2,  1812.  His  brother,  Jesse 
L.,  class  of  1759,  was  also  in  the  service. 


SHADRACH  WINSLOW, 


Surgeon,  Privateer. 


Physician  at  Foxboro,  Mass.  ;  born  at  Freetown,  Dec.  17, 
1750.  A  notice  of  him  in  the  "Winslow  Memorial,"  vol.  i.,  p. 
63,  says  :  "  After  graduation  Mr.  Winslow  studied  medicine  and 
became  a  physician  of  good  attainments,  with  fine  prospects. 
But  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Revolutionary  war  his  patriotic  feel 
ings  were  aroused  to  the  highest  pitch.  He  became  an  ardent 
supporter  of  the  colonies,  and  resolved  to  do  all  possible  for  the 

1  The  writer  is  under  obligations  to  Mr.  Matthew  Griswold,  of  Erie,  Pa.,  for 
an  examination  of  Col.  Humphreys'  papers  in  his  possession. 


Roll  of  Honor.  275 

cause.  Being  a  gentleman  of  means,  he  contributed  largely  to 
fitting  out  a  war  ship  to  attack  the  enemy  upon  the  high  seas,  and 
went  aboard  of  her  as  a  surgeon.  The  particulars  of  the  first  and 
only  voyage  the  ship  made  are  unfortunately  wanting,  but  it  is 
known  that  she  was  captured — it  is  said  off  the  coast  of  Spain. 
All  on  board  were  taken  prisoners  and  brought  to  the  Walla- 
bought  Bay,  off  Brooklyn,  and  placed  in  the  dismal  prison-ships, 
which  the  British  government  in  its  policy  thought  wise  and  per 
haps  humane  to  keep  there.  Here  Dr.  Winslow  was  detained  a 
prisoner  of  war  about  one  year,  and  suffered  much.  He  used  to 
say  that  he  never  fully  recovered  from  the  damage  his  health 
received."  He  died  at  Foxboro  Feb.  i,  1817.* 

Class  of  1772. 

ABRAHAM  BALDWIN, 

Brigade  Chaplain,  Continental  Army. 

Afterwards  U.  S.  Senator  from  Georgia.  He  was  born  at  Guil- 
ford,  Conn.,  Nov.  22,  1754,  and  from  1775  to  1779  was  tutor  at 
the  college.  Upon  the  retirement  of  Dr.  Dwight  from  the  chap 
laincy  of  Parsons'  brigade,  in  the  fall  of  1778,  Mr.  Baldwin  was 
appointed  to  the  vacancy,  with  commission  dating  Feb.  i,  1779. 
His  brigade  served  with  the  main  army  along  the  Hudson,  win 
tering  at  Morristown,  N.  J.,  in  1779-80,  and  at  "Connecticut  Vil 
lage,"  nearly  opposite  West  Point,  during  the  two  winters  following. 
With  the  reduction  of  the  regiments  in  1781  he  was  transferred 
to  the  Second  Connecticut  Brigade,  generally  commanded  by 
Col.  Swift,  while  Chaplain  John  Ellis,  graduate  of  Harvard,  con 
tinued  with  Huntington's  brigade,  which  became  the  First.  He 
remained  in  the  service  to  the  close  of  the  war,  and  appears  as 
one  of  the  original  members  of  the  Connecticut  Cincinnati 
Society.  Some  of  his  letters  from  camp  are  published  in  Todd's 
"  Life  of  Joel  Barlow,"  who  was  the  chaplain's  brother-in-law. 

1  Rev.  Lewis  Beebe  of  this  class  is  mentioned  as  surgeon  in  the  Northern 
Department  in  1775-76. 

Henry  Daggett  was  probably  the  State  Commissary  of  his  name  at  New 
Haven. 

Whether  the  John  Hart  of  this  class  was  the  captain  of  the  same  name  in 
Col.  S.  B.  Webb's  regiment  is  uncertain.  He  was  the  son  of  Rev.  William 
Hart,  of  Saybrook,  and  at  the  time  of  his  death,  in  1828,  was  called  captain. 


276         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

After  the  war  Mr.  Baldwin  went  to  Savannah  and  entered  pub 
lic  life.  He  became  a  member  of  the  Continental  Congress  from 
Georgia,  1785-88,  was  a  member  of  the  Federal  Constitutional 
Convention,  and  served  as  U.  S.  Senator  from  1799  until  his  death 
at  Washington,  on  March  4,  1807.  He  originated  the  plan  of  the 
Georgia  University,  and  was  known  generally  as  a  public-spirited, 
able,  and  kindly  man. 


SAMUEL  AUGUSTUS  STILL  BARKER, 

Captain,  Continental  Army. 

Son  of  Judge  Samuel  Barker,  class  of  1736,  of  Branford,  Conn., 
where  he  was  born  in  October,  1756.  He  first  appears  in 
the  army  as  Adjutant  of  Colonel  William  Douglas'  Connecticut 
State  Regiment,  commission  dated  June  20,  1776,  and  served 
with  it  through  the  New  York  campaign.  The  regiment  was 
at  the  Long  Island  front,  August  27th,  in  the  retreat  to  New 
York  following,  and  again  in  the  retreat  and  panic  of  Sep 
tember  i5th,  when  the  city  was  abandoned.  Barker  was  then 
acting  brigade-major  to  Douglas'  temporary  brigade.  Doubt 
less  he  was  with  it  also  at  the  battle  of  White  Plains.  On  Jan. 
i,  1777,  he  was  commissioned  Lieutenant  and  Adjutant  of  the 
Sixth  Connecticut  Line,  first  commanded  by  Douglas,  and  upon 
his  death  by  Col.  Meigs,  and  served  with  it  on  the  Westchester 
border  and  along  the  Hudson.  He  was  in  Putnam's  command 
below  Albany  during  the  Burgoyne  campaign.  May  10,  1780,  he 
was  promoted  captain  and  transferred  to  Col.  Butler's  Second 
Connecticut,  and  later  in  the  year  he  was  appointed  Brigade- 
Major  and  Sub-Inspector  of  the  First  Connecticut  Brigade.  In 
Feb.,  1781,  he  was  detached  with  a  company  to  serve  in  Lafay 
ette's  Light  Corps,  which  was  to  attempt  the  capture  of  Benedict 
Arnold  at  Portsmouth,  Va.,  but  which  afterwards  was  directed 
towards  Cornwallis  when  he  entered  that  State.  Barker,  with 
other  graduates,  experienced  all  the  hardships  and  successes  of 
that  rapid  campaign,  which  finally  terminated  in  the  siege  of 
Yorktown.  His  regiment,  under  Col.  Gimat  and  Maj.  Wyllys, 


Roll  of  Honor.  277 

took  part  in  the  skirmish  of  Green  Spring,  near  Jamestown,  in 
July,  1781,  and  again  formed  the  storming  party  that  captured 
one  of  the  enemy's  redoubts  at  Yorktown  on  the  night  of  Oct. 
1 4th.  Returning  to  the  Hudson  encampments,  he  continued  in 
the  service  until  his  resignation  on  April  13,  1782. 

After  the  war  Barker  removed  to  the  town  of  Beekman,  now 
Lagrange,  Dutchess  County  New  York,  through  which  he  must 
have  frequently  passed  during  his  military  service,  and  in  time 
came  to  own  a  large  estate  there.  He  married  and  left  three  or 
four  children.  Holding  local  offices,  as  assessor  and  supervisor, 
he  also  represented  Dutchess  County  in  the  New  York  Assembly 
at  eight  sessions  between  1788  and  1811.  In  the  latter  part  of 
his  life  he  was  known  as  "  General  Barker."  Down  to  1780  he 
signed  his  name  as  Sam.  Augustus  Still  Barker,  and  thereafter 
dropped  the  "  Still."  He  died  at  his  home,  Friday,  Nov.  19, 
1819,  in  the  64th  year  of  his  age. 


JONATHAN  BELLAMY, 

Ensign,  Connecticut  Troops. 

Son  of  Rev.  Dr.  Joseph  Bellamy,  class  of  1735,  tne  well-known 
divine  of  Bethlehem,  Conn.  He  had  lately  entered  upon  the 
practice  of  law  when  the  war  broke  out,  but  interrupted  it  by 
joining  Col.  Philip  B.  Bradley 's  State  regiment  as  ensign,  with 
commission  dating  June  20,  1776.  He  was  doubtless  with  it 
during  the  New  York  campaign,  being  stationed  most  of  the  time 
on  the  Jersey  side  at  Bergen,  Paulus  Hook,  and  elsewhere.  A 
small  part  of  the  regiment  retreated  with  Washington's  force  to 
the  Delaware  and  took  part  at  the  battle  of  Trenton,  but  young 
Bellamy  probably  was  not  with  it  on  that  occasion,  as  we  have 
the  record  that  he  died  of  the  small-pox  at  Bethlehem  (Oxford), 
N.  J.,  on  or  about  Jan.  4,  1777,  ten  days  after  Trenton.  He  had 
lately  been  recommended  for  promotion  in  the  new  Connecticut 
Continental  Line. 


278         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

WILLIAM  HULL, 

Lieutenant-Colonel^  Continental  Army. 

Afterwards  General  Hull,  of  the  War  of  1812.  His  revolutionary 
career  is  noteworthy  not  only  as  being  patriotic,  highly  service 
able,  and  at  times  brilliant,  but  as  extending  continuously  over 
the  long  period  of  nine  years. 

He  was  born  at  Derby,  Conn.,  June  24,  1753,  being  a  descend 
ant  of  Joseph  Hull,  who  emigrated  from  Derbyshire,  England,  in 
the  previous  century.  When  the  war  broke  out  he  was  studying 
law,  but  promptly  left  his  books  and  accepted  a  lieutenancy  in 
the  town  company,  which  joined  Col.  Charles  Webb's  Connecticut 
State  Regiment.  He  was  commissioned  First  Lieutenant  July  6, 
1775,  an(*  went  with  the  regiment  to  the  Boston  camps,  where  he 
served  through  the  siege.  On  February  i,  1776,  he  was  promoted 
Captain  in  the  same  regiment,  which  was  reorganized  as  the 
"  i Qth  Foot"  in  Washington's  army  for  that  year,  and  served 
under  him  in  the  New  York  campaign.  After  the  battle  of  Long 
Island  it  was  ordered  over  to  the  Brooklyn  front  with  other  rein 
forcements,  but  was  not  closely  engaged.  At  the  battle  of  White 
Plains,  October  28th,  as  one  of  the  regiments  of  McDougall's 
brigade  it  helped  to  defend  Chatterton's  Hill  on  the  American 
right  flank.  Hull  was  present  and  active  in  the  affair.  Later  he 
took  part  in  the  battles  of  Trenton  and  Princeton,  the  former  of 
which  he  describes  in  his  letter  quoted  on  page  59.  The  term  of 
his  regiment  having  expired,  Captain  Hull,  upon  the  request  of 
some  Massachusetts  officers  and  the  recommendation  of  Washing 
ton,  was  appointed  Major  of  Col.  M.  Jackson's  Eighth  Massachu 
setts  Continental  Line,  commission  dating  January  i,  1777. 
Springfield  was  designated  as  the  recruiting  station  of  the  regi 
ment,  and  by  April,  1777,  about  three  hundred  men  had  joined. 
With  these  Major  Hull  was  ordered  to  reinforce  St.  Glair's  little 
army  at  Ticonderoga,  which  in  July  following  was  obliged  to 
evacuate  that  post.  During  the  retreat  from  Fort  Edward,  the 
Major  had  an  opportunity  of  showing  his  skill  in  handling  the 
rear  guard  and  repulsing  an  attack.  Major  Wilkinson  recalls 
this  incident  in  his  "  Memoirs  "  as  follows  : 

"As  the  rear  guard  of  one  hundred  men  was  marching  from  its  post  to  join 
the  main  body,  it  was  fired  upon  by  a  small  party  of  Indians,  and  took  flight  in 


Roll  of  Honor.  279 

open  ground.  Attracted  by  the  firing  I  rode  up,  and  was  a  spectator  of  the 
scene  ;  the  guard  was  commanded  by  Major  Hull,  who  on  horseback  was  mak 
ing  the  most  animated  exertions  to  rally  his  men,  which  he  at  length  effected, 
and  in  turn  drove  the  enemy  with  great  gallantry." 

In  the  struggle  with  Burgoyne  which  soon  followed,  Hull's 
regiment  was  again  actively  engaged.  Hull  himself  had  the  com 
mand  of  a  separate  detachment  in  the  battle  of  September  igth, 
which  fought  bravely  and  sustained  heavy  loss.  In  the  decisive 
action  of  October  yth  he  again  took  a  prominent  part.  After  the 
surrender  the  Eighth  Massachusetts,  with  other  regiments,  was 
ordered  to  Washington's  army  in  Pennsylvania,  where  it  wintered 
at  Valley  Forge  1777-78.  There  Hull  was  appointed,  March  29, 
1778,  Sub-Inspector  of  Gen.  Larned's  brigade,  to  which  he  be 
longed,  and  received  his  instructions  from  Baron  Steuben,  In 
spector-General,  who  had  lately  joined  the  army.  In  June  fol 
lowing  he  was  present  at  the  battle  of  Monmouth.  In  the  spring 
of  1779  the  Major  commanded  the  advance  posts  in  Westchester 
County,  and  on  June  26.  of  that  year  was  placed  in  command  of 
the  seven  companies  of  Massachusetts  Light  Infantry,  which  he 
skilfully  led,  under  Wayne,  at  the  famous  storming  of  Stony 
Point  on  the  night  of  July  i5th.  Hull  was  subsequently  pro 
moted  Lieutenant-Colonel,  commission  dating  August  12,  1779, 
and  transferred  to  Col.  Greaton's  Third  Massachusetts  Line.  It 
appears  that  his  claim  to  this  rank  was  contested  and  brought  to 
the  notice  of  Washington,  who  thereupon  wrote  a  long  letter  to  Gen. 
Heath,  December  13, 1779,  in  which  he  favored  Hull.  He  speaks 
of  him  as  "  an  officer  of  great  merit  "  whose  services  had  been 
"  honorable  to  himself  and  honorable  and  profitable  to  his  coun 
try."  "  He  might,"  continues  Washington,  "  have  been  arranged 
a  Lieutenant-Colonel  in  the  Connecticut  Line  by  the  Committee 
of  Congress  at  White  Plains  in  1778  ;  but  many  of  the  Massachu 
setts  officers  discovered  great  uneasiness  at  the  idea  of  his  being 
taken  from  them  ;  and  he  himself,  hoping  that  all  were  content 
with  his  services  and  rank,  generously  refused  the  offer,  and  de 
termined  to  remain  where  he  was.  But  he  had  a  better  title  than 
this.  I  only  mention  it  as  a  trait  of  his  character." 

During  1780  Hull  was  with  the  main  army,  generally  along  the 
Hudson.  In  January,  1781,  he  conducted  the  successful  expedi 
tion  against  the  Tories  at  Morrisania,  referred  to  on  pages  130-132. 


280         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

When  Washington  marched  to  Yorktown  in  the  summer  of  1781, 
Hull  was  appointed  Deputy-Quartermaster  of  Heath's  force  left 
to  protect  the  Highlands  and  West  Point.  This  office,  however,  he 
soon  resigned,  and  on  November  21,  1781,  he  was  appointed  Divi 
sion  Inspector  of  the  Third  Massachusetts  and  New  Hampshire 
Brigades.  A  few  days  later,  December  ist,  he  was  assigned  the 
more  responsible  position  of  Dep.  Adjutant-General  under  Heath, 
vice  Col.  Grosvenor  (class  of  1765),  who  had  resigned  the  office,  and 
this  position  he  retained  until  April  29,  1782,  when  he  received 
a  furlough.  As  the  Massachusetts  regiments  were  subsequently 
reduced  in  numbers,  Col.  Hull  was  transferred,  January,  1783,  to 
the  6th,  and  on  June  i6th  to  the  4th,  or  Col.  H.  Jackson's.  On 
the  last  date  he  was  also  appointed  to  the  command  of  the  Light 
Infantry,  and  led  that  corps  at  the  head  of  the  American  force 
that  marched  into  New  York  when  the  city  was  evacuated  by 
the  enemy  November  25,  1783.  A  provisional  body  called  the 
"  American  regiment  "  was  then  organized  to  serve  until  July  i, 
1784,  at  West  Point,  and  Hull  was  appointed  its  Lieut-Colonel. 
With  its  disbandment  his  long  services  in  the  field  terminated. 

In  the  u  Military  and  Civil  Life  of  Gen.  Hull  "  many  incidents 
of  his  revolutionary  career  appear  from  his  own  pen.  Among 
other  interesting  facts  noticed  is  the  invitation  from  Washington 
to  Hull  in  1780  to  enter  his  family  as  Aid-de-Camp,  which  the 
Colonel,  however,  declined,  as  he  was  then  Inspector  of  Howe's 
Division.  Steuben  felt  that  he  would  be  of  greater  service  where 
he  was  than  as  Aid  to  Washington,  and  entreated  him  not  to 
change.  Hull  states  that  he  accordingly  recommended  Humphreys 
to  Washington's  notice. 

After  the  war  Hull  was  commissioned  to  treat  with  Gen.  Hal- 
dimand  in  Canada,  respecting  the  transfer  of  the  northwestern 
posts  into  American  hands,  as  appears  from  his  letter,  on  p.  149. 
In  1787  he  assisted  in  the  suppression  of  Shay's  rebellion,  and  in 
1794  was  appointed  U.  S.  Commissioner  to  treat  with  the  British 
in  Canada,  and  hold  treaties  with  the  Indians.  In  1805  he  was 
appointed  by  Jefferson  Governor  of  the  Territory  of  Michigan, 
and  held  that  office  until  1814,  being  also  appointed,  in  1812, 
Brig.-General  and  Commander  of  U.  S.  forces  along  that  frontier. 
On  August  15,  1812,  he  surrendered  Detroit  to  the  enemy,  and  in 
January,  1814,  was  tried  by  court-martial  at  Albany  and  sentenced 


Roll  of  Honor.  281 

to  be  shot  on  charges  of  cowardice  and  neglect  of  duty.  The  exe 
cution  of  the  sentence,  however,  was  remitted  by  the  President  on 
the  ground  of  his  age  and  revolutionary  services.  Hull  then  re 
tired  to  Newton,  Mass.,  where  he  had  taken  up  his  residence  in 
1784,  and  died  there  on  November  25,  1825.  In  the  militia  of 
the  State  he  rose  to  the  rank  of  Major-General. 

Gen.  Hull  never  wavered  in  his  conviction  that  the  surrender 
of  Detroit  was  a  right  and  necessary  act,  and  his  friends  have 
always  regarded  him  as  a  victim  "  sacrificed  to  the  necessity  of 
preserving  the  Administration  from  disgrace  and  ruin."  Its  own 
blunders  were  to  be  concealed  in  making  Hull  the  one  responsible 
official  in  the  case.  The  opinion  may  be  ventured  that  an  impar 
tial  review  of  the  evidence  by  a  military  court  to-day  would  result 
in  a  reversal  of  judgment. 

The  General  was  an  original  member  of  the  Massachusetts 
Cincinnati  Society. 


SAMUEL  WILLIAM  WILLIAMS, 

Captain,  Continental  Army. 

Grandson  of  Col.  Elisha  Williams,  fourth  President  of  the 
college  ;  born  at  Wethersfield,  Conn.,  in  1752.  Upon  the  organ 
ization  of  the  Continental  Line  he  joined  Col.  S.  B.  Webb's 
"additional"  regiment,  as  Lieutenant,  February,  1777,  and  on 
March  23,  1778,  was  promoted  Captain.  The  regiment  served 
along  the  Hudson  in  1777,  and  in  the  summer  of  1778  marched 
to  Rhode  Island,  under  Lafayette,  and  took  an  active  part  in  the 
battle  there  of  August  29th.  In  June  of  the  following  year  it 
helped  to  check  the  enemy's  advance  from  Springfield,  N.  J.  By 
the  reduction  of  the  Line,  on  January  i,  1781,  the  regiment  became 
the  Third  Conn.,  and  for  a  short  time  in  the  fall  of  the  year  Capt. 
Williams  had  the  command  of  it.  A  brief  extract  from  one  of  his 
letters,  referring  to  camp  rejoicings  over  the  capture  of  Cornwallis, 
appears  on  p.  139.  He  retired  from  the  service  January  i,  1783- 


282         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

After  the  war  he  settled  at  Wethersfield,  held  the  office  of  Town 
Clerk  for  twenty  years,  and  was  sent  to  the  Legislature  several 
sessions.  He  died  on  or  about  September  14,  1812.  Member 
Conn.  Cincinnati  Soc.1 


Class  of  1773. 


ROGER  ALDEN, 

Brevet-Major  and  A.D.C.,  Continental  Army. 

Descendant  in  the  sixth  generation  of  John  Al'den,  of  the  May 
flower  Company  ;  born  at  Lebanon,  Conn.,  February  n,  1754. 
Trumbull,  the  painter,  speaks  of  him  in  his  Autobiography  as  one 
of  his  "very  particular  friends  and  companions,"  and  an  active 
member  of  a  military  company  formed  by  the  younger  men  of 
Lebanon  in  anticipation  of  war.  His  elder  brother,  Captain 
Judah  Alden,  of  Col.  S.  B.  Webb's  regiment,  was  killed  in  a  skir 
mish  in  Westchester  Co.,  August  22,  1777. 

Alden  was  first  commissioned  Lieutenant  and  Adjutant  of  Col. 
Bradley's  Fifth  Conn.  Line,  January  i,  1777.  The  regiment  fought 
at  Germantown,  October  4th,  and  encamped  that  winter  at  Valley 
Forge,  where  the  Adjutant  was  appointed  Brigade-Major  of  Hunt- 
ington's  Brigade.  June  i,  1778,  he  was  promoted  Captain- 
Lieutenant  in  Col.  Butler's  Second  Conn.,  and  marched  with  the 
army  to  Monmouth.  September  i,  1779,  he  was  promoted  full 
Captain,  and  thereafter  served  most  of  the  time  as  Aid-de-Camp, 
with  the  brevet  rank  of  Major,  to  Brig.-Gen.  Huntington,  being 
formally  appointed  to  the  position  by  Division  Orders,  Springfield, 
N.  J.,  April  i,  1780.  He  probably  spent  the  winter  at  the  Morris- 
town  huts.  About  a  year  later,  on  February  10, 1781,  he  resigned 
his  commission,  and  retired  to  study  law,  at  Fairfield,  in  the  office 
of  Sam.  William  Johnson.  In  a  letter  to  Aaron  Burr,  February  28, 

1  Rev.  Dr.  John  Reed,  of  this  class,  for  many  years  Unitarian  pastor  at  West 
Bridgewater,  Mass.,  is  stated,  in  Drake's  "Diet,  of  Am.  Biography,"  to  have 
served  one  year  as  chaplain  in  the  naval  service  during  the  Revolution. 


Roll  of  Honor.  28, 


1781,  he  refers  to  his  four  years'  service,  and  adds  :  "I  bid  adieu 
to  camp,  having  completed  my  business,  with  my  thanks  to  our 
worthy  Commander-in-Chief  for  his  attention  to  my  character. 
The  discharge  he  gave  me  equalled  my  wishes  and  exceeded  my 
expectations." 

Two  years  after  the  war,  June  23,  1785,  Alden  was  elected 
Deputy  Secretary  of  the  Continental  Congress,  Governor  Trum- 
bull  recommending  him  as  "  a  young  gentleman  possessed  of 
natural  good  abilities  enlarged  by  a  liberal  education,  and  im 
proved  by  several  years'  knowledge  of  mankind  in  the  public  ser 
vice  of  his  country,  in  which  he  acquitted  himself  with  honor  and 
reputation."  Upon  the  adoption  of  the  new  Constitution,  Wash 
ington,  as  President,  appointed  him,  July  24,  1789,  custodian  of 
the  books  and  papers  of  the  old  Congress,  together  with  "the 
great  seal  of  the  Federal  Union,"  until  Jefferson,  Secretary  of 
State,  should  enter  upon  his  duties.  Alden  then  became  Chief 
Clerk  of  the  Department  ;  but  giving  up  this  position  he  went  to 
what  is  now  the  town  of  Meadville,  Penn.,  and  became  interested 
in  lands  of  the  Holland  Co.,  which,  in  1796,  he  advertises  for 
sale,  his  address  being  "  Mr.  David  Mead's  Settlement,  about  40 
miles  from  Lake  Erie,  in  Penn."  It  would  seem  that  he  lived 
at  Meadville  until  his  seventy-seventh  year,  when  the  War  De 
partment  appointed  him,  January  20,  1825,  Military  Storekeeper 
at  West  Point.  On  December  30,  1826,  he  was  also  made  Post 
master  at  the  same  place ;  and  these  positions  he  retained  until 
his  death,  November  5,  1836.  The  Major  was  buried  in  the  Post 
Cemetery,  where  his  tombstone  still  stands  in  a  fair  state  of 
preservation.  Col.  Bradford  R.  Alden,  late  of  the  regular  army, 
was  his  son.  Member  Conn,  and  N.  Y.  Cincinnati  Societies. 


ROYAL  FLINT, 

Deputy  Commissary^  Continental  Army. 

A  native  of  Windham,  Conn.,  where  he  was  born  January  12, 
1754.      His  grandfather,  Joshua  Flint,   descendant  of   Thomas 


284         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

Flint,  of  Salem,  Mass.,  appears  among  the  early  settlers  of  the 
place.  His  father,  James  Flint,  became  a  prosperous  merchant 
there,  and  sent  his  two  sons,  Royal  and  Abel,  to  college — the 
latter,  class  of  1785,  afterwards  the  Rev.  Dr.  Flint,  for  many  years 
a  prominent  pastor  at  Hartford. 

Young  Flint  visited  the  Boston  camps  in  1775,  where  Nathan 
Hale  speaks  of  meeting  him,  and  returning  home,  engaged  in  the 
early  part  of  1776,  in  making  saltpetre  at  Wethersfield.  On  July 
loth  following,  he  was  commissioned  Paymaster  of  Col.  Andrew 
Ward's  Conn.  Continental  Regt.,  which,  in  August,  joined  Wash 
ington's  army  at  New  York.  This  regiment  was  at  Trenton  and 
Princeton.  May  28,  1777,  Flint  received  the  appointment  of 
Asst.  Commissary  of  Connecticut  State  troops  with  "  a  captain's 
pay  and  rations."  As  such  he  distributed  clothing  to  the  State's 
soldiers  in  Putnam's  command  on  the  Hudson  in  the  fall  of  1777, 
as  well  as  during  the  following  winter  at  Valley  Forge.  The 
next  year,  May  27,  1778,  Congress  commissioned  him  Asst.  Com 
missary  of  Purchases,  under  Col.  Wadsworth,  Commissary-Gen 
eral  in  the  Continental  Army.  In  this  position  he  became  ac 
quainted  with  leading  officers  in  the  service,  among  others,  Gen. 
Greene,  who,  writing  from  camp,  April  14,  1779,  to  Wadsworth, 
says  :  "  Mr.  Flint  dined  with  me  to-day,  and  is  brave  and  hearty. 
We  wish  for  another  feast  of  salmon.  When  may  we  expect  it  ?  " 
The  Commissary's  interesting  letters,  on  pp.  114-117,  indicate 
the  nature  of  his  duties  and  difficulties  encountered.  Another 
letter,  given  in  full  below,  is  valuable  as  showing  the  effect  of  the 
depreciation  of  the  currency  upon  the  officers  in  the  army,  Flint's 
case  being  one  of  many.  It  is  as  follows,  addressed  to  the 
President  of  Congress  : 

"  MORRISTOWN,  Jan.  23,  1780. 

"  SIR  : — While  I  see  officers  of  every  denomination  soliciting  an  adequate 
recompense  for  their  services,  I  cannot,  in  justice  to  myself,  remain  any  longer 
silent.  It  is,  however,  with  reluctance  I  trouble  Congress  with  the  concerns  of 
an  individual,  when  their  attention  is  so  much  called  to  matters  more  public 
and  important.  But  if  the  claim  be  just,  I  flatter  myself  it  will  not  be  rejected 
from  want  of  consequence.  My  case  is  this  :  I  accepted  the  appointment  of 
Assistant  Commissary-General  of  Purchases  on  the  27th  of  May,  1778,  upon  a 
salary  of  five  dollars  per  day,  two  rations  for  myself  and  one  for  my  servant, 
and  forage  for  two  horses.  As  the  currency  had  not  then  depreciated  more 


Roll  of  Honor.  285 

than  threefold,  I  considered  that  allowance  sufficient  for  my  support,  and 
cheerfully  entered  upon  my  duty.  Since  that  time  the  money  has  been  rapidly 
growing  worse,  and  no  additional  emoluments  have  been  annexed  to  my  office. 
The  last  year  of  my  service  I  have  been  obliged  to  allow  my  servant  higher 
wages  than  I  received  myself,  and  now  find  that  my  expenses  amount  to  several 
thousand  dollars  more  than  my  whole  pay.  My  duty  has  been  constant  and 
fatiguing,  and  of  such  a  nature  that  no  honorary  advantages  could  result  from  it, 
however  well  it  might  be  performed.  I  have  fixed  no  particular  extent  to  my 
claim,  for  I  only  request  that  Congress  would  compare  my  case  with  others,  and 
upon  this  relative  view  make  me  a  just  compensation  for  past  services. 
' '  I  have  the  honor  to  be 

"  Your  Excellency's  most  obt.  hbl.  servt. 

"  ROYAL  FLINT. 
"  His  Excellency,  S.  HUNTINGTON." 

Soon  after  the  foregoing  letter  was  written,  Flint  decided  to 
retire  from  the  army  ;  and  early  in  February,  1780,  he  sent  in  his 
resignation.  He  was  still  at  Morristown,  and  before  returning 
to  Connecticut  he  wrote  as  follows  to  Washington  under  date  of 
February  6th  : 

"SiR: 

"  Having  finished  my  service  under  the  Commissary-General,  and  having  no 
further  connection  with  the  department,  my  authority  over  the  affairs  of  it  are 
at  an  end.  My  continuance  here  in  such  a  situation  will  afford  no  advantage 
to  the  public,  and  consequently  no  great  satisfaction  to  myself.  The  circum 
stances  that  have  compelled  my  leaving  the  army  have  no  ways  abated  my 
wishes  for  its  prosperity,  or  my  zeal  and  inclinations  to  serve  it.  ...  As 
it  has  been  my  ambition  in  a  public  capacity  to  merit  your  approbation,  so, 
now  I  am  out  of  office,  I  shall  be  no  less  ambitious,  in  whatever  situation  I 
am,  of  manifesting  my  personal  attachment  to  your  Excellency." 

At  a  later  date  Flint  visited  the  French  troops  at  Newport,  and 
remarked  upon  their  excellent  commissariat.  After  the  war,  from 
1786  to  1789,  he  was  U.  S.  Commissioner  for  settling  the  Conti 
nental  accounts  of  the  Eastern  States,  with  residence  at  Boston. 
He  then  became  interested  in  land  schemes,  taking  four  shares 
in  the  Ohio  Company,  and  appearing  as  one  of  the  three  trustees 
in  the  less  fortunate  Scioto  Company.  His  name  is  also  on  the 
list  of  purchasers  of  large  tracts  in  Western  New  York.  In  1792, 
however,  a  general  crash  followed  the  rage  for  speculation  ;  and 
a  letter  of  that  year  mentions  Flint  as  among  the  "  ruined." 


286         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

Subsequently  he  went  to  Charleston,  S.  C.,  and  died  there  Octo 
ber  17, 


NATHAN  HALE, 

Captain,  Connecticut  Continentals. 

11  Martyr-Spy  "  of  the  Revolution. 

The  devoted  Hale,  to  whom  reference  is  made  on  pages  52-55, 
was  born  at  Coventry,  Conn.,  some  twenty  miles  east  of  Hartford, 
June  6,  1755.  He  belonged  to  a  typical  New  England  family  of 
the  last  century,  his  father,  Richard  Hale,  being  a  farmer  and 
church  deacon  who  brought  up  his  sons  under  strict  convictions 
of  duty.  Nathan  and  his  elder  brother,  Enoch,  entered  the  same 
class  at  Yale,  where  the  former  certainly  was  a  general  favorite. 
We  have  the  testimony  of  more  than  one  of  his  friends  and  asso 
ciates  that  he  was  a  most  attractive  character,  a  youth  whose  dis 
position  and  endowments  won  for  him  the  respect  and  love  of  his 
fellows  to  an  unusual  degree.  Perhaps  no  one  could  speak  of 
him  with  better  authority  or  discrimination  than  Dr.  Dwight,  who 
was  tutor  at  the  college  during  the  last  two  years  of  Hale's  course 
and  necessarily  knew  him  well.  It  is  this  fact  that  makes  the 
Doctor's  reference  to  him  in  his  "  Conquest  of  Canaan  "  a  valua 
ble  tribute.  The  extract,  well  known,  will  bear  repeating  : 

"  Thus,  while  fond  Virtue  wished  in  vain  to  save, 
Hale,  bright  and  generous,  found  a  hapless  grave. 
With  genius'  living  flame  his  bosom  glowed, 
And  science  charmed  him  to  her  sweet  abode  ; 
In  worth's  fair  path  his  feet  adventured  far, 
The  pride  of  peace,  the  rising  grace  of  war  ; 
In  duty  firm,  in  danger  calm  as  even, 
To  friends  unchanging,  and  sincere  to  Heaven. 
How  short  his  course,  the  prize  how  early  won  ! 
While  weeping  friendship  mourns  her  favorite  gone." 

1  The  writer  is  indebted  to  Mr.  J.  F.  Morris,  of  Hartford,  for  copies  of  the 
Flint  letters  in  the  text  and  sketch. 


Roll  of  Honor.  287 

In  a  note  to  this  passage  Dr.  Dwight  states  that  it  was  written 
early  in  the  war,  and,  with  two  or  three  similar  tributes,  was  in 
serted  in  his  poem  "  to  indulge  the  author's  own  emotions  of 
regard  for  the  persons  named."  During  the  war,  also,  some  other 
friend  of  Hale,  whose  name  does  not  appear,  remembered  him  in 
a  longer  poetic  effort,  which  is  interesting  as  being  more  of  a  per 
sonal  and  descriptive  nature.  It  was  first  published  in  the  Amer 
ican  Historical  Magazine  in  1836  in  part  as  follows  : 

"  Erect  and  tall,  his  well-proportioned  frame, 
Vigorous  and  active,  as  electric  flame  ; 
His  manly  limbs  had  symmetry  and  grace, 
And  innate  goodness  marked  his  beauteous  face  ; 
His  fancy  lively,  and  his  genius  great, 
His  solid  judgment  shone  in  grave  debate  ; 
For  erudition  far  beyond  his  years  ; 
At  Yale  distinguished  above  all  his  peers  ; 
Speak,  ye  who  knew  him  while  a  pupil  there, 
His  numerous  virtues  to  the  world  declare  ; 
His  blameless  carriage  and  his  modest  air, 
Above  the  vain  parade  and  idle  show 
Which  mark  the  coxcomb  and  the  empty  beau  ; 
Removed  from  envy,  malice,  pride,  and  strife, 
He  walked  through  goodness  as  he  walked  through  life  ; 
A  kinder  brother  nature  never  knew, 
A  child  more  duteous  or  a  friend  more  true." 

Hale's  classmate,  Major  Tallmadge,  his  college-mate  and  fel 
low-officer,  Colonel  Hull,  some  of  his  pupils  and  others,  have  left 
us  ample  evidence  of  the  high  estimation  in  which  he  was  held. 
Through  their  recollections  and  memorials  one  may  see  in  him  a 
nature  not  only  gifted,  but  capable  of  any  noble,  ingenuous  act 
whenever  occasion  might  call  for  it. 

After  graduation  Hale  taught  school,  first,  at  Moodus,  Conn., 
and  then  at  New  London,  where  he  was  still  teaching  when  the 
war  broke  out.  The  drift  of  opinion  and  events,  of  course,  in 
terested  him.  Thus  to  his  brother  Enoch,  then  at  Lyme,  he 
wrote  from  New  London,  August  8,  1774,  in  an  unpublished  let 
ter  :  "  No  liberty-pole  is  erected  or  erecting  here  ;  but  the  peo 
ple  seem  much  more  spirited  than  they  were  before  the  alarm. 
Parson  Peters,  of  Hebron,  I  hear,  has  had  a  second  visit  paid 
him  by  the  Sons  of  Liberty  in  Windham.  His  treatment  and  the 


288         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

concessions  he  made  I  have  not  as  yet  heard."  Soon  after  the 
Lexington  skirmish  Hale  gave  up  his  school,  and  on  July  6,  1775, 
was  commissioned  lieutenant  of  a  company  which  was  attached 
to  Col.  Charles  Webb's  State  regiment,  and  went  to  the  Boston 
encampment.  He  served  through  the  siege,  and  when  the  regiment 
was  reorganized  as  the  "  Nineteenth  Foot  "  in  Washington's  army 
of  Continentals,  to  serve  until  January  i,  1777,  he  was  promoted 
Captain,  with  commission  dated  February  i,  1776.  Marching  with 
the  army  to  New  York,  Webb's  regiment  was  engaged,  with  the 
others,  in  fortifying  the  city.  It  was  encamped  most  of  the  time 
on  the  line  of  Grand  Street,  near  the  Bowery,  and  Hale  was  with 
it  constantly,  absorbed  in  his  military  duties.  No  opportunity, 
however,  was  given  him  to  engage  in  action,  which  he  evidently 
regretted.  His  regiment  was  ordered  to  the  Long  Island  front  on 
the  morning  of  August  27th,  but  took  no  part  in  the  battle,  and 
after  the  retreat  to  New  York  again  went  into  camp.  About  the 
ist  of  September  following,  a  small  body  of  Rangers  was  or 
ganized  under  the  command  of  Lieut.-Col.  Knowlton,  and  Hale 
was  accepted  as  one  of  its  captains.  As  the  Rangers  were 
to  be  at  the  front,  reconnoitering  the  enemy,  Hale  felt  that 
with  them  he  could  render  some  valuable  service.  The  choice, 
however,  was  to  prove  a  fatal  one.  Washington  at  that  time 
was  extremely  anxious  to  obtain  information  from  the  enemy's 
camps  respecting  their  preparations  for  their  next  advance  and 
the  probable  point  of  attack,  and  he  mentioned  the  matter  to 
Knowlton,  who  in  turn  suggested  the  service  to  one  or  more  of 
his  own  officers. 

"  The  suggestion  appears  to  have  deeply  impressed  Hale,  who, 
after  an  interview  with  Knowlton,  went  to  talk  the  subject  over 
with  his  fellow-officer  and  college  friend,  Capt.  William  Hull, 
of  Webb's  regiment.  This  we  know  from  Hull  himself.  The 
two  captains  discussed  the  question  of  undertaking  the  role  of 
a  spy.  Hull  used  every  argument  to  dissuade  Hale  from  the 
dangerous  service,  and  appealed  to  him  as  a  soldier  not  to  run 
the  risk  of  closing  his  promising  career  with  an  ignominious 
death.  Hale,  however,  although  fully  sensible  of  the  conse 
quences  of  capture,  could  think  of  nothing  but  duty.  He  told 
Hull  that  for  a  year  he  had  been  attached  to  the  army,  and  had 
rendered  no  material  service  ;  that  he  wished  to  be  useful  ;  was 


Roll  of  Honor.  289 

uninfluenced  by  the  expectation  of  promotion  or  pecuniary  re 
ward  ;  and  so  far  as  the  peculiar  duty  in  question  was  concerned, 
he  felt  that  *  every  kind  of  service  necessary  to  the  public  good  be 
came  honorable  by  being  necessary'  " — Harper's  Magagine,  May, 
1880. 

Deciding  to  undertake  the  perilous  errand,  Hale  disguised 
himself  as  a  schoolmaster,  crossed  from  Stamford  to  Long 
Island,  proceeded  to  New  York,  which  had  just  fallen  into  the 
enemy's  hands,  and,  obtaining  information,  started  to  return  to 
the  American  camp.  Then  comes  the  brief  and  melancholy 
record  that,  being  either  suspected  or  recognized,  he  was  arrested, 
examined  by  General  Howe,  the  British  Commander-irLrChief, 
condemned  as  a  spy,  and  executed  as  such  on  the  morning  of 
September  22,  1776. 

How  Hale  bore  himself  during  this  ordeal  is,  fortunately,  a 
point  on  which  we  have  authentic  information.  His  brother 
Enoch,  hearing  of  his  fate,  went  to  the  American  camp,  then  at 
White  Plains,  and  ascertained  that  the  Captain  was  "  suspected 
by  his  movements  that  he  wanted  to  get  out  of  New  York," 
and  that  "  minutes  "  being  found  on  his  person,  he  was  ordered 
to  be  hanged.  "  When  at  the  gallows  he  spoke,  and  told  that  he 
was  a  Captain  in  the  Continental  Army,  by  name  Nathan  Hale."  ' 
Captain  Hull  states,  in  the  published  extracts  from  his  MSS. 
"  Memoirs,"  that  he  conversed  with  the  British  officer  who 
brought  word  to  our  lines  of  H ale's  fate,  and  learned  from  him 
that  Hale  conducted  himself  with  the  utmost  dignity,  and,  when 
examined,  frankly  avowed  his  name,  rank,  and  mission.  Few 
persons  witnessed  his  execution,  but  the  officer  told  Hull  that  his 
last  words  were  remembered — an  expression  of  regret  that  he 
"  had  not  more  than  one  life  to  lose  for  his  country."  2 

All  this  was  in  perfect  keeping  with  Hale's  character.  He  had 
sought  to  do  Washington  and  the  country  a  useful  service,  but 
failing,  he  accepted  the  consequences  with  the  composure  and 

1  See  Enoch  Hale's  brief  diary,  published  as  appendix  to  address  by  Rev.  Ed 
ward  Everett  Hale  at  New  London,  September  7,  1881.  Boston  :  A.  Wil 
liams  &  Co.  1881. 

4  Hull  wrote  an  account  of  Hale  for  Hannah  Adams'  "  History  of  New  Eng 
land,"  published  in  1799,  which  appears  there  in  quotations  as  he  gave  it.  In 
his  "  Memoirs,"  edited  by  Mrs.  Campbell,  after  his  death,  he  gives  further  par 
ticulars. 


2 90         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

devotion  that  hallow  the  last  moments  of  all  true  heroic  spirits. 
Even  if  nothing  more  were  known  of  his  fate  than  the  mere  fact 
of  his  execution,  his  previous  conduct  and  expressions,  such  as 
his  last  conversation  with  Hull,  the  tone  of  his  letters  and  diary, 
his  virtues  and  motives  as  recalled  by  those  who  knew  him,  would 
single  him  out  as  a  youth  to  be  remembered  and  his  sacrifice  one 
to  be  fitly  commemorated.  Thus  far  his  devotion  has  been  hon 
ored  with  two  public  memorials, — first  by  a  modest  monument 
erected  at  South  Coventry  in  1846,  and  again  by  an  ideal  bronze 
statue  provided  by  the  State  of  Connecticut  and  unveiled  in  the 
Capitol  building,  Hartford,  June  14,  1887.  In  printed  form  we 
have  numerous  tributes,  among  which  may  be  mentioned  J.  W. 
Stuart's  "  Life  "  of  Hale  ;  Rev.  Edward  Everett  Hale's  address  at 
the  Groton  Celebration  in  1881;  Mr.  Charles  Dudley  Warner's  ad 
dress  at  the  unveiling  at  Hartford,  1887;  article  in  Harper's  Mag 
azine,  May,  1880  ;  a  "Poem  "  delivered  before  the  Alumni  Associ 
ation  of  Columbia  College  by  John  MacMullen,  A.M.,  in  1858  ; 
and  a  "  Poem  "  by  Judge  Francis  M.  Finch  at  the  centennial  an 
niversary  of  the  Lin^onian  Society,  Yale  College,  in  1853,  of 
which  the  last  stanza  is  as  follows  : 

"  From  Fame-leaf  and  Angel-leaf, 

From  monument  and  urn, 
The  sad  of  Earth,  the  glad  of  Heaven, 

His  tragic  fate  shall  learn  ; 
And  on  Fame-leaf  and  Angel-leaf, 

The  name  of  HALE  shall  burn  !  " 


JAMES  HILLHOUSE, 

Captain,  Governor  s  Foot-Guards. 

Afterwards  United  States  Senator  from  Connecticut.  He  was 
born  at  Montville,  in  that  State,  October  21,  1754,  but  after 
graduation  lived  in  New  Haven,  where  he  practised  law.  Like  his 
father,  who  was  prominent  as  a  Revolutionary  leader  in  the 
colony,  he  took  an  active  interest  in  the  war  and  at  times  served 
in  person.  He  appears  as  a  lieutenant  of  volunteers  to  rein- 


Roll  of  Honor.  291 


force  Washington,  in  December,  1776,  and  may  have  been  in  the 
field  a  few  weeks  then.  On  May  8,  1777,  he  was  elected  Lieu 
tenant  of  the  Second  or  New  Haven  Company  of  Governor's 
Foot-Guards,  and  two  years  later,  May  3,  1779,  was  elected  its 
Captain.  He  held  this  rank  at  the  time  the  enemy  invaded  New 
Haven  in  July,  1779,  when  he  marched  out  promptly  with  a  small 
company  of  volunteers  and  skirmished  with  the  British  as  they 
came  up  through  West  Haven  from  their  landing-place  at  Savin 
Rock.  He  showed  much  spirit  on  the  occasion  and  is  remembered 
as  one  of  the  chief  figures  among  those  who  attempted  the  defence 
of  the  town.  In  1779  and  1780  he  also  did  good  service  at  home 
in  recruiting  men  for  the  Continental  army  under  Washington^ 
Some  of  his  correspondence  in  the  matter  is  to  be  found  in  the 
Trumbull  MSS.,  Boston.  Rising  in  influence  and  reputation,  Hill- 
house  became  a  Member  of  Congress  in  1791-94,  and  thereafter 
sat  in  the  Senate  until  1810.  He  was  Treasurer  of  Yale  from 
1782  until  his  death  at  New  Haven,  December  29,  1832. 


STEPHEN  KEYES, 

Captain,  Connecticut  Troops. 

Native  of  Pomfret,  Conn.,  where  he  was  born,  December  6,  1753. 
He  was  commissary,  probably  of  Putnam's  regiment,  in  1775,  and 
served  at  the  Boston  siege.  On  January  i,  1776,  he  was  commis 
sioned  First  Lieutenant  in  Col.  Parsons'  Regt.,  and  was  doubtless 
with  it  through  the  New  York  campaign,  taking  part  in  the  battle 
of  Long  Island  and  the  retreat  from  the  city.  In  Jan.,  1777,  he 
appears  on  a  list  of  captains  for  Col.  Huntington's  Continental 
regiment,  but  did  not  serve.  After  the  war  he  removed  to  Bur 
lington,  Vermont,  where  he  engaged  in  business  and  became  Col 
lector  of  the  district.  He  was  there  known  as  Colonel  Keyes. 
His  death  occurred  at  St.  Albans,  Vt.,  August  2,  1804. 


292         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

ELIHU  MARVIN, 

Adjutant,  Continental  Army. 

A  native  of  Lyme,  Conn.,  born  December,  1752.  He  first  appears 
in  the  service  as  Lieutenant  and  Adjutant  of  the  Fourth  Regt. 
Connecticut  Line,  under  Col.  Durkee,  with  commission  dated 
January  i,  1777.  The  regiment  fought  at  the  battle  of  Germantovvn 
in  October  of  that  year,  and  wintered  at  Valley  Forge,  1777-78.  At 
the  latter  camp  Marvin  was  appointed  Brigade-Major  of  Varnum's 
brigade,  consisting  of  two  R.  I.  and  two  Conn,  regiments,  and 
may  have  been  with  it  at  the  battle  of  Monmouth  in  June,  1778. 
Soon  after  this,  or  before  August  ist  following,  he  left  the  service. 
Returning  to  Connecticut,  he  occasionally  served  with  the  militia, 
appearing,  for  instance,  in  March,  1779,  as  Aid  to  Gen.  Wads- 
worth  when  troops  were  ordered  to  New  London  on  an  alarm. 
He  settled  as  a  physician  at  Norwich  and  became  Brigadier-Gen 
eral  of  State  Militia.  He  died  September  13,  1798, — an  obituary 
notice  saying  of  him  :  "  Departed  this  life,  on  Friday  morning,  in 
the  fifty-fifth  year  of  his  age,  of  the  yellow  fever,  General  Elihu 
Marvin,  whose  enlightened  understanding,  whose  philanthropic 
heart,  whose  regular  deportment  and  domestic  virtues  distin 
guished  his  character." 

EZRA  SAMPSON, 

Chaplain,  Massachusetts  Troops. 

Pastor  at  Plympton,  Mass.  Born  at  Middleboro,  February,  1754  ; 
died  in  New  York  City,  December  12,  1823.  The  sketch  of  Mr. 
Sampson  in  Sprague's  "  Annals  of  the  Pulpit,"  says  :  "In  1775 
he  acted  as  volunteer  chaplain  in  the  camp  at  Roxbury,  and  in 
July  of  that  year  preached  a  sermon  before  Col.  Cotton's  regi 
ment,  of  so  patriotic  and  inspiriting  a  character  that  it  was  imme 
diately  printed  by  request  of  the  army.  His  heart  was  warmly  in 
his  country's  cause  ;  and  he  lost  no  opportunity  of  serving  that 
cause  during  the  whole  period  of  the  Revolution." 

EZRA  SELDEN, 

Captain,  Continental  Army. 

Captain  Selden  and  his  cousin,  Adjutant  Charles  Selden,  of  the 
class  of  1777,  were  descendants  of  Thomas  Selden,  one  of  the 
original  settlers  of  Hartford.  Joseph  Selden,  youngest  son  of 
Thomas,  removed  in  1695  to  what  is  now  Hadlyme,  on  the  Con- 


Roll  of  Honor.  293 

necticut  River,  twelve  miles  from  its  mouth,  and  established  a 
homestead  which,  in  1724,  passed  to  his  youngest  son,  Samuel. 
This  Samuel  Selden  had  two  sons,  namely,  Samuel  (second), 
or  the  "Colonel,"  and  Ezra,  the  "  Squire,"  the  former  inheriting 
the  homestead,  and  the  latter  settling  in  Hamburg  Society,  six 
miles  below.  These  two  brothers  were  the  fathers,  respectively, 
of  the  graduates  and  revolutionary  officers,  Ezra  and  Charles. 

Ezra,  son  of  "Squire  "  Ezra  Selden,  was  born  March  23,  1752. 
Representing  a  patriotic  family,  he  responded  promptly  to  the  call 
for  troops  after  the  first  alarm,  and  joined  Col.  Samuel  H.  Par 
sons'  regiment  at  Lyme  as  Orderly  Sergeant,  May  6,  1775.  With 
this  he  went  to  Boston,  and  remained  through  the  siege.  On 
January  i,  1776,  when  the  regiment  was  made  the  Tenth  Conti 
nental  Foot,  he  appears  as  Second  Lieutenant.  He  marched  with 
it  to  New  York,  and  participated  in  the  trying  events  of  the  cam 
paign,  being  present,  no  doubt,  at  the  battle  of  Long  Island,  and 
certainly  in  the  retreat  from  the  city  September  i5th.  His  regi 
ment  was  with  the  army  at  White  Plains,  but  not  actively  en 
gaged.  Upon  the  formation  of  the  Connecticut  Continental  Line 
Selden  was  promoted  Lieutenant  and  Adjutant  of  the  First  Regi 
ment,  with  commission  dated  January  i,  1777,  the  regiment  being 
commanded  successively  until  1781  by  Colonels  Huntington, 
Prentice,  and  Starr.  This  command  fought  at  the  battle  of  Ger- 
mantown  in  October,  1777,  and  then  wintered  at  Valley  Forge. 
An  interesting  and  valuable  letter  written  by  Selden  from  that 
camp  appears  on  page  87.  The  surgeon  of  the  regiment,  Dr. 
Albigence  Waldo,  states  in  a  brief  diary  that  the  Adjutant  taught 
him  in  mid-winter  how  to  darn  stockings  so  that  the  patch  would 
"look  like  knit-work,"  a  timely  accomplishment  in  view  of  the 
desperate  straits  the  soldiers  were  reduced  to  in  the  matter  of 
clothes.  In  the  following  summer  the  army  entered  the  field  and 
fought  the  battle  of  Monmouth,  Selden  being  with  it  on  the  oc 
casion,  and  also  in  the  next  camp  at  White  Plains,  where  he 
wrote  the  second  of  his  letters  published  in  the  text,  page  91. 
Meanwhile  he  was  promoted  captain  in  his  regiment,  with  rank 
dating  from  June  i,  1778.  His  captain's  commission,  signed 
by  John  Jay,  President  of  Congress,  is  among  the  applications  in 
the  Pension  Bureau  at  Washington. 

In  the  movements  of  1779  Captain  Selden  was  given  the  oppor 
tunity  of  distinguishing  himself  as  one  of  Wayne's  Stony  Point 


294         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

heroes.  He  was  Captain  of  Light  Infantry  in  Colonel  Meigs' 
regiment  for  the  campaign,  and  engaged  in  the  storming  of  that 
post  on  the  night  of  July  i5th.  During  the  attack  he  was 
severely  wounded  in  the  groin,  and  was  subsequently  taken  home 
by  his  father,  who  came  for  him  in  a  carriage  from  Lyme.  Selden's 
Lieutenant-Colonel,  Sill,  refers  to  the  assault  as  follows  :  "  The 
taking  the  fort  at  Stony  Point  is  a  convincing  proof  of  the  bravery 
of  the  Americans,  and  is  acknowledged  by  our  enemies.  There 
has  nothing  been  done  in  the  war  that  exceeds,  or  even  equalled  it. 
The  officers  and  soldiers  that  were  in  the  attack  have  gained  im 
mortal  honor.  Captain  Selden  received  a  wound  in  the  back  ; 
the  ball  is  extracted,  and  he  will  be  well  soon."  The  Captain, 
however,  never  fully  recovered  from  the  shock.  He  returned  to 
the  army,  and  remained  with  it  until  the  close  of  the  war,  or  May, 
1783.  From  1781  to  1783  he  served  in  Colonel  Butler's  Fourth, 
and  Colonel  S.  B.  Webb's  Third  Regiment  of  the  Line. 

After  the  war  Captain  Selden  married,  and  settled  in  the  prac 
tice  of  law  at  Lyme,  but  his  constitution  was  undermined  in  part 
by  his  wound,  and  he  died  from  hemorrhage  December  9,  1874. 
An  obituary  notice,  written  by  Dr.  Samuel  Mather,  of  Lyme, 
speaks  of  him  as  follows  : 

"  He  was  a  person  of  a  most  beautiful  aspect  and  agreeable  disposition  ;  his 
deportment  and  manner  of  address  was  such  as  attracted  the  attention  and  ad 
miration  of  his  acquaintance.  Early  in  life  he  received  a  liberal  education,  and 
was  one  of  the  first  that  presented  himself  in  the  cause  of  his  bleeding  country. 
He  served  in  the  various  posts  from  that  of  an  Orderly  Sergeant  to  that  of  a 
Captain,  which  he  filled  with  honor  and  dignity,  and  in  many  instances  signal 
ized  himself  as  an  excellent  officer  and  soldier  ;  in  particular,  at  the  reduction 
of  Stony  Point,  where  he  received  a  dangerous  wound  at  the  first  attack.  Not 
withstanding  the  distresses  of  his  wound  and  great  loss  of  blood,  he  was  one  of 
the  first  with  his  division  that  mounted  the  ramparts  and  displayed  that  bravery 
so  peculiar  to  the  American  officer.  He  died  with  that  disposition  of  mind  pe 
culiar  to  those  that  have  an  interest  in  the  redemption  by  Jesus  Christ.  In  him 
the  public  have  lost  a  great  defender  of  the  privileges  and  liberties  of  mankind, 
and  an  agreeable  citizen  ;  his  parents,  his  wife,  with  two  small  children,  an  af 
fectionate  son,  and  husband,  and  a  tender  parent." 

Member  Connecticut  Cincinnati  Society. 


Roll  of  Honor.  295 

BENJAMIN  TALLMADGE, 

Major,  Continental  Dragoons. 

Tallmadge's  name,  it  need  hardly  be  said,  stands  high  in  the 
list  of  distinguished  field-officers  of  the  Revolution.  Few  of  the 
younger  men  in  the  army  enjoyed  the  confidence  and  esteem  of 
Washington  in  larger  measure. 

The  Major  was  born  February  25,  1754,  at  Setauket,  Suffolk  Co., 
L.  I.,  where  his  father,  Rev.  Benjamin  Tallmadge,  class  of  1747, 
was  long  settled  as  pastor.  Upon  graduation  he  taught  the  High 
School  at  Wethersfield,  Conn.,  and  was  there  when  the  war  broke 
out.  He  visited  the  Boston  camp  in  the  summer  of  1775,  but  did 
not  decide  to  enter  the  service  until  the  following  year,  when  he 
became  Adjutant  of  the  State  regiment  under  Col.  Chester,  with 
commission  dated  June  20,  1776.  His  regiment  served  in  Wads- 
worth's  brigade  at  New  York,  and  fought  at  the  battle  of  Long 
Island.  It  was  stationed  at  the  outposts  in  the  present  Prospect 
Park,  and  was  forced  to  a  hasty  retreat  to  avoid  capture.  Tall 
madge's  own  account  of  the  affair,  and  especially  of  the  subsequent 
retreat  to  New  York  and  other  operations  of  the  campaign,  appears 
in  his  "  Memoirs,"  published  after  his  death,  an  extract  from  which 
is  given  on  p.  49.  When  Col.  Chester  became  a  brigade  com 
mander,  Tallmadge  was  appointed,  September  ist,  his  Brigade- 
Major,  and  retained  that  position  until  about  the  middle  of  De 
cember.  He  was  with  his  command  at  the  battle  of  White  Plains. 
In  the  fall  of  the  year  when  State  committees  were  selecting 
officers  for  the  proposed  Continental  Line,  Tallmadge  was  recom 
mended  for  promotion  by  his  colonel,  who  highly  appreciated  his 
merits,  as  appears  from  what  he  wrote  to  a  friend  at  Wethersfield, 
October  3d  :  "  For  my  part  I  think  it  of  the  last  importance  to 
the  future  well-being  of  America  that  good  men  should  now  be 
appointed.  No  tongue  can  tell  the  difficulties  this  army  has 
laboured  under  for  the  want  of  them.  I  wish  Major  Tallmadge 
might  be  provided  for  by  Connecticut.  I  have  recommended 
him  ...  all  allow  him  fit  for  any  post."  Tallmadge  mean 
while  accepted  a  captaincy  in  a  corps  of  cavalry,  which  became 
the  Second  Regiment  of  Continental  Light  Dragoons,  under  Col. 
Elisha  Sheldon,  of  Connecticut,  and  recruited  a  full  company 
from  his  own  brigade  before  it  returned  home.  His  promptness 


296          Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

and  success  in  the  case  enabled  him  to  become  senior  Captain  in 
his  new  regiment,  with  commission  dated  December  14,  1776. 
Returning  to  Wethersfield,  he  equipped  and  mounted  his  company 
in  handsome  style,  and  in  the  spring  of  1777  joined  Washington's 
army  in  New  Jersey.  His  first  experience  there  was  a  skirmish 
with  the  enemy  in  the  Short  Hills.  A  little  later  he  was  pro 
moted  Major,  with  commission  dated  April  7,  1777,  and  as  such 
took  part  in  the  movements  in  Pennsylvania  leading  to  the  battle 
of  Brandywine,  and  was  engaged  in  the  following  battle  of 
Germantown,  October  4th.  During  the  remainder  of  the  war  the 
Second  Dragoons  was  generally  stationed  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
outposts  in  Westchester  Co.  and  along  the  Hudson,  while  Tall- 
madge  himself  at  times  commanded  separate  detachments,  or  was 
of  service  to  the  Commander-in-Chief  in  a  special  way  as  indi 
cated  on  p.  124.  His  management  of  the  secret  service  referred 
to  was  highly  approved  by  Washington,  and  his  skill  in  conducting 
expeditions  recognized  in  flattering  terms.  He  was  well  acquainted 
with  all  the  neutral  ground  between  the  two  armies,  and  knew 
what  inhabitants  could  be  depended  upon  for  correct  information. 
He  signalized  himself  especially  in  crossing  the  Sound  and  attack 
ing  posts  on  Long  Island,  as  in  the  case  of  Fort  George,  men 
tioned  on  p.  126,  when  he  received  the  thanks  and  praise  of 
Congress,  and  again  in  the  case  of  Fort  Slongo,  surprised  on 
October  10,  1787,  by  an  expedition  planned  by  Tallmadge,  but 
executed  by  Major  Trescott  under  his  orders.  In  this  connec 
tion,  also,  may  be  read  the  interesting  letter  from  Washington  to 
the  Major,  p.  146,  upon  the  attempted  expedition  in  1782,  de 
scribed  by  the  latter  on  p.  145.  Tallmadge's  own  tours  of  duty 
along  the  Westchester  front  were  frequent,  to  one  of  which  he 
briefly  refers  as  follows  in  a  note  to  Col.  Webb,  dated  Crompond, 
July  6,  1780  :  "I  am  to-morrow  going  on  an  enterprise  down  to 
the  Lines  with  a  very  respectable  command  of  Horse  and  foot.  I 
hope  the  real  accounts  you  hear  from  me  may  relate  some  attchieve- 
ment.  Being  on  an  advanced  Post,  our  Duty  is,  of  course,  severe, 
subject  to  frequent  alarms,  and  little  rest.  I  have  often  wished  for 
Miss  Webb's  faculty  of  living  without  sleep,  that  Duty  might  not 
affect  me."  1  On  one  occasion  the  enemy  stole  a  march  upon 
him  and  he  barely  escaped  capture. 
1  Webb's  "  Reminiscences." 


Roll  of  Honor.  297 

The  part  played  by  Major  Tallmadge  in  the  arrest  of  Andre"  is 
well  known.  But.  for  his  observation  and  suspicions  that  officer 
might  have  escaped  ;  and,  indeed,  had  his  advice  been  followed 
by  his  Lieutenant-Colonel  Jameson,  Arnold  himself  might  have 
been  captured.  He  was  with  Andre"  much  of  the  time  before  his 
execution,  and  became  quite  attached  to  him,  as  appears  from  the 
Major's  "  Memoirs  "  and  the  interesting  letter  from  his  pen  on 
page  125. 

Tallmadge  remained  in  the  service  until  June,  1783,  when  the 
army  disbanded.  After  the  war,  in  common  with  other  officers, 
he  became  interested  in  the  Ohio  Company,  and  in  1795  appears 
as  its  treasurer.  He  made  one  trip  to  Ohio,  but  returned  and  set 
tled  at  Litchfield,  Conn.,  where  he  became  an  influential  citizen. 
From  1800  to  1816  he  represented  his  district  in  Congress.  He 
died  March  7,  1835.  Member  Connecticut  Cincinnati  Society. 


JOSHUA  LAMB  WOODBRIDGE, 

Captain,  Massachusetts  Militia. 

Son  of  Rev.  Timothy  Woodbridge,  class  of  1732  ;  born  at  Hat- 
field,  Mass.,  about  1750.  He  appears  at  the  siege  of  Boston  from 
May  to  December,  1775,  as  lieutenant  and  sometimes  recruiting 
officer  in  the  State  regiment  commanded  by  Col.  Benj.  Ruggles 
Woodbridge.  His  classmate,  Nathan  Hale,  speaks  of  meeting 
him  in  camp  there.  In  the  following  year  he  seems  to  have  served 
a  short  time  in  the  Northern  Department,  and  in  1777  probably 
took  part  in  the  Saratoga  campaign  with  Massachusetts  militia. 
He  is  on  the  rolls  of  Colonel  Tyler's  regiment,  and  in  1778  he  was 
Captain  in  Colonel  Dike's  militia  regiment,  serving  in  Rhode 
Island  under  Sullivan.  During  Shay's  rebellion  he  rendered 
General  Shepard  some  assistance,  being  sent  on  one  occasion 


298         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

to  ascertain  Shay's  object.  Subsequently  Woodbridge  engaged 
in  business  in  Boston.  When  or  where  he  died  does  not  appear 
in  the  published  record  of  the  family. 

JOHN  PALSGRAVE  WYLLYS, 

Major,  Continental  Army. 
Major,  First  Regiment  U.  S.  A. 

Youngest  of  the  three  Wyllys  brothers,  graduates  of  the  college, 
referred  to  in  the  sketch  of  Col.  Samuel  W.,  class  of  1758,  and 
the  officer  who,  after  "  long  and  meritorious  "  services,  fell  in  the 
Indian  wars  in  Ohio,  as  described  in  the  closing  chapter  of  the 
text. 

The  Major  was  born  at  Hartford  in  1754,  and  was  apparently 
living  at  his  father's  ample  home  there  when  the  war  broke  out. 
According  to  one  of  his  own  letters  and  the  Cincinnati  records, 
he  entered  the  service  as  Adjutant  of  Col.  Erastus  Wolcott's  State 
regiment,  appointment  dating  January  5,  1776,  which  served  a 
brief  term  at  the  Boston  siege  early  in  that  year.  In  the  following 
campaign  at  New  York,  Wyllys  was  appointed,  August  7,  1776, 
Brigade-Major  of  Wadsworth's  brigade  of  Connecticut  State 
troops,  and  was  doubtless  at  the  battle  of  Long  Island.  During 
the  retreat  from  New  York  on  September  i5th,  he  was  taken  pris 
oner  by  the  enemy  near  Kip's  Bay,  or  along  the  line  of  East  34th 
Street,  but  was  exchanged  in  the  following  spring.  With  the  or 
ganization  of  the  Continental  Line  he  was  commissioned,  January 
i,  1777,  Captain  in  Col.  S.  B.  Webb's  "additional  "  regiment,  re 
ferred  to  on  page  66  as  "  quite  a  Yale  corps,"  and  remained  with 
it  to  the  close  of  the  war.  During  Burgoyne's  campaign  the  regi 
ment  served  under  Putnam  against  the  British  force  that  moved 
up  the  Hudson  from  New  York,  and  in  December  of  that  year 
was  concerned  in  an  unsuccessful  expedition  to  Long  Island.  In 
the  summer  of  1778  Wyllys  marched  with  his  regiment  from  the 
Hudson  camps  to  Rhode  Island,  and  engaged  in  the  battle  fought 
near  Newport,  on  August  29th.  The  regiment  remaining  in  Rhode 
Island  over  a  year,  the  Captain  appears  there  sometimes  on  court- 
martial  and  again  on  special  duty.  One  of  his  letters  in  the 
Gates  Papers  (N.  Y.  Hist.  Soc.)  is  a  report  of  an  expedition  he 
was  ordered  to  undertake  to  secure  stock  on  the  Elizabeth 


Roll  of  Honor.  299 

Islands.  With  a  party  of  fifty  men  he  proceeded,  about  the  3d 
of  September,  1779,  to  "  Coaxitt,"  "  Cuddahone,"  "  Penekese," 
and  other  islands,  and  on  the  gih  returned  to  Bedford.  On  the 
loth  he  reported  as  follows  : 

' '  The  stock  upon  these  Islands  far  exceeded  in  value  what  was  supposed — the 
quantity  brought  off  amounted  to  about  sixty  head  of  neat  cattle,  the  same  num 
ber  of  horses,  and  upwards  of  five  hundred  sheep  in  fine  order.  I  am  happy  to 
say  that  no  abuse,  either  to  the  person  or  property  of  any  Inhabitant,  has  been 
complained  of,  and  have  the  pleasure  to  reflect  that  I  have  been  successfully  em 
ployed  in  depriving  the  enemies  of  my  country  of  property  which  was  their  own 
whenever  they  should  choose  to  take  possession — as  the  event  has  since  proved." 

Returning  to  Washington's  army,  Webb's  regiment  wintered, 
1779-80,  at  the  Morristown  huts,  and  engaged  in  June,  1780,  in 
the  battle  of  Springfield,  N.  J.,  referred  to  on  page  117.  What 
the  Inspector-General,  Steuben,  thought  of  this  regiment,  then 
under  the  command  of  Lieut-Col.  Huntington  (class  of  1775),  ap 
pears  in  his  report,  printed  on  page  no.  Soon  after  the  Spring 
field  affair,  Captain  Wyllys  commanded  one  of  the  Connecticut 
companies  in  Lafayette's  Light  Infantry  Corps,  and  was  presently 
promoted  Major,  with  commission  dated  October  10,  1780.  On 
January  i,  1781,  Webb's  regiment  became  the  Third  of  the  Con 
necticut  Line.  Wyllys,  however,  was  absent  from  it  the  greater  part 
of  the  year  as  Major  of  one  of  the  three  Light  Infantry  battalions 
which  marched  with  Lafayette  to  Virginia.  He  was  assigned  to 
the  command  February  i7th,  was  soon  relieved  by  Major  Throop, 
and  in  April  reassigned.  Referring  to  this,  he  wrote  as  follows  to 
Col.  Webb  on  the  i8th  of  that  month  :  "  Major  Throop  yesterday 
arrived  from  the  Marquis's  detachment,  and  I  am  obliged  to  take 
up  the  tour  upon  the  old  appointment.  I  set  off  to-morrow  for 
Hartford  in  order  to  put  myself,  in  some  degree,  in  a  condition  to 
take  the  field.  ...  I  am  extremely  sorry  if  my  going  upon 
this  tour  shall  oblige  you  to  leave  your  affairs  in  a  manner  differ 
ent  from  what  you  wish,  but  I  could  not  consistent  with  a  soldier's 
honour  have  refused  it."  In  Virginia  Wyllys  distinguished  himself 
with  the  Light  Corps — having  command  of  his  battalion  in  the 
sharp  affair  of  Green  Spring,  July  6th,  and  being  with  it  at  the 
siege  of  Yorktown  following.  His  regiment  was  assigned  the 
post  of  honor  at  the  successful  assault  on  the  enemy's  forts  on  the 
night  of  October  i4th.  Returning  to  the  Hudson  camps  in  De- 


300         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

cember,  1781,  Wyllys  thereafter  remained  with  the  army  in  the 
Highlands,  taking  his  turn  also  in  command  of  the  outposts,  as 
appears  from  his  letters  on  page  143.  His  regiment,  under  Col. 
Swift,  in  1783,  was  the  last  of  the  Connecticut  Line  in  the  service, 
and  with  it  he  retired  from  the  field  in  November  of  that  year. 

Major  Wyllys'  record  after  the  war  has  already  been  given  in 
the  text,  pages  163-170.  From  1785  to  1790  he  was  Major  of  the 
First  Regiment  of  the  regular  army  on  the  Ohio  frontier,  and 
there  fell  in  action,  October  22,  1790,  near  the  site  of  Fort  Wayne, 
Indiana.  He  had  devoted  fourteen  years  of  his  life  to  the  coun 
try.  An  appreciative  poetic  tribute  to  his  memory  appears  on 
page  170.  Member  Connecticut  Cincinnati  Society.1 


Class  of  1774. 

AMOS  BENEDICT, 

Connecticut  State  Troops. 

Of  Danbury,  Conn.  ;  born  March  17,  1754.  In  the  Benedict 
genealogy  he  is  said  to  have  been  in  the  service  during  the  year 
1776,  and  that  he  died  of  small-pox  in  camp  February  15,  1777. 
Where  or  in  what  capacity  he  served  does  not  appear. 

AARON  JORDAN  BOGUE, 

Chaplain,  Connecticut. 

A  native  of  West  Avon,  Conn.  ;  born  May  6,  1752.  The  Al 
bany  Argus  says  in  obituary  notice  of  him  :  "  He  was  the  oldest 
of  five  brothers,  all  of  whom  were  old  enough  to  take  a  part  in 

J  Gamaliel  Babcock,  of  this  class,  was  probably  the  "  Issuing  Commissary  " 
of  the  same  name  appointed  by  Gov.  Trumbull's  council,  July  I,  1777,  to  assist 
in  the  equipment  and  provision  of  the  Connecticut  Continental  Line.  The 
officer  was  from  Lebanon. 


Roll  of  Honor.  301 

the  Revolutionary  War.  At  that  eventful  period  he,  although  a 
clergyman,  obeyed  the  call  as  a  minute-man,  was  a  soldier  and 
twice  a  chaplain  of  militia.  He  lost  all  his  property  during  the 
struggle."  He  was  also  chaplain  during  the  1812  war,  and  re 
maining  in  the  service,  accompanied  General  Jackson  on  his  Creek 
expedition.  Retiring  to  New  Lebanon,  Columbia  Co.,  N.  Y.,  after 
the  Revolution,  he  died  there  in  the  latter  part  of  June,  1826, 
aged  74  years. 

WILLIAM  LOCKWOOD, 

Brigade  Chaplain,  Continental  Army. 

Afterwards  pastor  at  Milford  and  Glastonbury,  Conn.  ;  born  at 
Wethersfield,  January  21,  1753.  He  was  tutor  at  the  college  in 
1779,  and  in  the  fall  of  the  following  year  he  joined  the  army  as 
chaplain.  Referring  to  him  in  a  letter  dated  October  27,  1780, 
President  Stiles  says  :  "  I  recd  a  letter  from  Mr.  Tutor  Lockwood 
from  the  army  dated  14  inst.,  wherein  he  informs  that  he  has 
accepted  a  chaplainship  in  the  army  in  Gen.  Nixon's  [Mass.] 
Brigade,  and  asks  to  resign  the  Tutorship."  Mr.  Lockwood  con 
tinued  in  the  service  to  the  close  of  the  war,  being  stationed  gen 
erally  along  the  Hudson.  In  1783  he  was  Chaplain  of  Paterson's 
First  Massachusetts  Brigade.  He  died  at  Glastonbury  January 
23,  1828.  Member  Massachusetts  Cincinnati  Society. 

NEHEMIAH  RICE, 

Captain,  Continental  Army. 

Of  Northbury,  now  Plymouth,  Conn.  He  was  the  son  of  Phin- 
eas  Royce  (as  the  name  used  to  be  written),  who  was  the  grand 
son  of  Nehemiah  Royce,  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  Wallingford. 
Phineas  married  Elizabeth,  widow  of  Daniel  Lord,  of  Lyme,  and 
removed  to  Northbury  about  1736.  Their  son  and  fifth  child, 
Nehemiah,  born  in  1753,  was  sent  to  college. 

Young  Rice  entered  the  service  October  15,  1775  ;  in  what 
capacity  does  not  appear.  On  April  15,  1776,  he  was  appointed 
Lieutenant  in  Col.  Samuel  Elmore's  Connecticut  regiment,  raised 
for  service  in  the  Northern  Department ;  and  during  the  latter 


302         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

part  of  the  year  he  was  on  duty  at  Albany  and  Ft.  Schuyler,  on 
the  Mohawk.  January  i,  1777,  he  was  commissioned  Adjutant  of 
Colonel  Chandler's  Eighth  Connecticut  Continentals,  and  was 
doubtless  with  it  at  the  battles  of  German  town  and  Monmouth, 
and  at  Valley  Forge.  November  15,  1777,  he  was  promoted  Cap 
tain,  and  during  the  fall  of  1779  served  with  Wayne's  Light  In 
fantry  Corps.  At  the  Morristown  winter  quarters,  1779-80,  he 
was  in  temporary  command  of  his  regiment.  By  the  new  ar 
rangement  of  January  i,  1781,  he  went  on  duty  with  Sherman's 
Fifth  Connecticut,  and  served  with  it  until  his  retirement  on  Jan 
uary  i,  1783.  Captain  Rice  lived  for  about  ten  years  after  the 
war,  the  place  or  exact  time  of  his  death  not  appearing.  Mem 
ber  Connecticut  Cincinnati  Society. 


EZRA  STARR, 

Lieutenant,  Connecticut  Troops. 

Merchant  and  farmer  at  Danbury,  Conn.;  born  August  9,  1753. 
The  following  reference  is  made  to  him  in  the  Starr  Genealogy  : 
"In  1776  the  State  paid  for  fitting  out  Lieut.  Ezra  Starr's  com 
pany,  and  in  December  of  that  year  sent  him  for  the  relief  of  the 
army  that  was  suffering  for  clothing,  &c.  In  1777  he  was 
awarded  .£2,296,  and  in  1778  an  additional  sum  for  his  loss  by  the 
burning  of  Danbury."  He  was  afterwards  Captain  in  the  militia, 
and  assisted  in  forwarding  teams  and  supplies  for  Continental 
troops  on  the  Hudson.  His  death  occurred  May  5,  1805. 


JOSEPH  WALKER, 

Captain  and  A.D.C.,  Continental  Army. 

Younger  brother  of  Capt.  Robert  Walker,  class  of  1765  ;  born 
i755»  at  Stratford,  Conn.  He  first  appears  in  the  service  in  1777 
as  Lieutenant  in  Col.  S.  B.  Webb's  "  additional  "  Continental 
Regiment.  On  August  22d  of  the  same  year  he  was  promoted 
Captain,  and  served  on  the  Hudson  and  in  Rhode  Island.  One 
of  his  letters,  written  from  the  Morristown  huts  in  the  winter  of 


Roll  of  Honor.  303 

1779-80,  appears  on  page  113.  By  General  Orders  of  December 
15,  1780,  Walker  was  appointed  Aid-de-Camp,  with  the  brevet 
rank  of  Major,  to  Major-General  Parsons,  commanding  the  Con 
necticut  Line,  and  remained  with  him  until  the  General's  resigna 
tion  in  March,  1782.  On  retiring,  Parsons  recommended  Walker 
to  General  Gates,  who  was  about  to  resume  command  in  the 
army,  as  follows  : 

"  MIDDLETOWN,  April  10,  1782. 

"  I  am  happy  to  hear  you  again  think  of  aiding  our  country  with  your  ser 
vices  in  the  field,  and  from  my  former  experience  of  your  friendship  I  am  in 
duced  to  request  a  place  in  your  family  for  Captain  Joseph  Walker,  of  the  3d 
Conn.  Regt.  He  has  been  with  me  from  my  appointment  as  Major-General  to 
this  time.  Finding  myself  unable  to  continue  longer  in  the  army,  I  am  unwill 
ing  to  disappoint  the  expectations  of  so  good  a  character  in  returning  him  to 
his  Regt.  I  think  you  will  be  fully  satisfied  with  him  on  acquaintance." 

Not  being  reappointed  Aid-de-Camp,  however,  Walker  returned 
to  Captain's  duty  in  his  regiment,  and  later  in  the  year  became 
Brigade-Major  of  the  Connecticut  Brigade,  which  office  he  held 
until  the  army  disbanded.  He  retired  September,  1783,  to  his 
home  at  Stratford.  After  the  war  he  became  a  man  of  note,  fre 
quently  went  to  the  Legislature,  and  rose  to  be  major-general  of 
militia.  He  died  August  12,  1810,  at  Ballston  Spa,  N.  Y.,  where 
he  had  gone  "  in  hopes  of  recovering  his  delicate  health."  Mem 
ber  Connecticut  Cincinnati  Society. 


JEREMIAH  WEST, 

Surgeon,  Continental  Army. 

Judge  Zebulon  West,  of  Tolland,  Conn.,  a  town-worthy  of  the 
last  century,  who  was  several  times  Speaker  of  the  Colonial  As 
sembly  before  the  Revolution,  sent  three  of  his  sons  to  the  college 
— Stephen,  class  of  1755,  a  minister  ;  Nathaniel,  class  of  1768  ; 
and  Jeremiah,  class  of  1774,  physician  and  surgeon.  The  latter 
was  born  at  Tolland,  July  20,  1753. 

Dr.  West  entered  the  service  as  surgeon's  mate  of  Spencer's 


304         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

Connecticut  Regiment  soon  after  the  Lexington  alarm,  appoint 
ment  dating  July  22,  1775.  He  served  two  months  before  that  as 
volunteer.  The  regiment  served  at  the  Boston  siege  and  he  re 
mained  with  it  to  the  end  of  the  year.  On  Jan.  i,  1777,  Dr. 
West  was  commissioned  surgeon's  mate  in  Col.  S.  B.  Webb's 
"additional"  Continental  Regiment,  and  on  June  22,  1778,  he 
was  promoted  full  surgeon.  This  was  the  regiment,  as  stated  in 
the  text,  which  had  an  unusual  proportion  of  graduates  among 
its  officers.  The  command  was  ordered  to  Rhode  Island  in  1778, 
and  engaged  in  the  battle  there  of  August  29th.  He  continued  in 
the  service  until  March  3, 1782,  when  he  resigned.  His  regiment, 
which  had  become  the  Third  Connecticut,  was  then  in  camp  at 
"  Connecticut  Village,"  nearly  opposite  West  Point.  Dr.  West 
not  only  became  a  prominent  physician,  having  been  elected 
President  of  the  Connecticut  Medical  Society  in  1805,  but  also 
held  important  civil  offices.  He  was  Judge  of  Tolland  County 
Court  for  fourteen  years,  and  was  member  of  the  Assembly  for 
ten  sessions.  He  died  October  18,  1806. 

ENOCH  WOODBRIDGE, 

Commissary,  Continental  Service. 

Afterward  Chief-Justice  of  Vermont.  He  was  a  native  of 
Stockbridge,  Mass.,  where  he  was  born  December  25,  1750.  In 
1775-76  he  appears  at  the  Boston  siege,  and  in  the  reorganization 
of  the  troops  for  1776  was  made  Adjutant  of  Col.  John  Paterson's 
regiment.  He  is  entered  as  such  on  the  February  rolls.  If  he 
went  with  the  command  to  the  Northern  Department  for  the  remain 
der  of  the  year,  he  could  not  have  been  wounded  at  the  battle  of 
White  Plains,  as  stated  in  notices  of  him.  He  is  said  to  have 
served  in  1777  in  the  Saratoga  campaign.  In  1779  he  is  men 
tioned  in  the  Vermont  records  as  a  "  Continental  Commissary  of 
Issues,"  an  office  which  he  may  have  held  to  the  close  of  the  war. 
Removing  to  Vermont,  he  became  first  Mayor  of  Vergennes  in 
1794,  and  still  later  Chief  Judge  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the 
State.  He  died  about  April  i,  1805.' 

1  Isaac  Baldwin,  of  this  class,  is  mentioned  as  having  been  in  the  Wyoming 
massacre  in  1779,  and  was  one  of  the  few  who  escaped.  He  was  probably  the 
Adjutant  of  Col.  Zebulon  Butler's  temporary  force  there.  Baldwin  was  a  law 
yer  of  Litchfield,  Conn.,  but  removed  to  Pompey,  N.  Y.,  in  1811,  where  he 
died  December  22,  1818. 


Roll  of  Honor.  305 

Class  of  1775. 


EZEKIEL  PORTER  BELDEN, 

Captain,  Continental  Dragoons. 

Of  Wethersfield,  Conn.,  where  he  was  born  February  12,  1756. 
His  father,  Thomas  Belden,  class  of  1751,  who  was  frequently 
identified  with  public  affairs,  commanded  a  regiment  of  militia  for 
State  defence.  Upon  the  organization  of  the  Second  Regiment 
Light  Dragoons,  raised  mainly  in  Connecticut,  under  Col.  Shel 
don,  young  Belden  received  the  appointment  of  Lieutenant,  with 
commission  dated  December  20,  1776,  and  on  April  7,  1777,  was 
promoted  to  a  captaincy.  He  was  probably  at  the  battle  of 
Germantown,  October  4,  1777,  where  a  part  of  the  regiment  was 
engaged.  Subsequently  he  served  along  the  Hudson,  in  West- 
chester  County,  N.  Y.,  and  Western  Connecticut,  and  doubtless 
took  part  in  the  several  skirmishes  and  expeditions  in  which  the 
Dragoons  were  concerned.  He  resigned  his  commission  June 
10,  1780. 

Like  his  father,  Belden  afterwards  became  a  man  of  considera 
ble  note  in  Wethersfield.  Hinman  says  of  him  :  "  He  was  re 
peatedly  chosen  Selectman,  was  elected  Town  Clerk  in  1812,  and 
held  the  office  uninterruptedly  until  his  death  ;  was  a  member  of 
almost  all  the  town  committees,  a  justice  of  the  peace,  and  repre 
sentative  of  the  town  in  the  General  Assembly  forty-nine  sessions, 
and  was  elected  to  two  more  in  which  he  declined  serving. 
He  was  a  man  of  kind  and  social  feelings,  gentlemanly  and  amia 
ble  manners,  and  ready  and  active  in  the  management  of  public 
affairs."  For  some  years  he  was  Lieut.-Colonel  of  the  Sixth  Mili 
tia  Regiment.  He  died  at  Wethersfield  October  9,  1824. 

STEPHEN  Row  BRADLEY, 

Captain,  Connecticut  Troops. 

Afterwards  U.  S.  Senator  from  Vermont.  He  was  born  at 
Cheshire,  Conn.,  February  20,  1754,  and  after  graduation  taught 
school  there.  He  commanded  a  company  of  volunteers  for  a 
brief  term  early  in  1776,  and  a  year  later  appears  as  Aid-de-Camp 
to  Gen.  Wooster  at  Rye.  He  is  said  to  have  been  with  the  Gen- 


Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

eral  when  he  was  mortally  wounded  near  Danbury,  and  also  to 
have  served  as  a  Commissary  and  Militia  Major  in  1778-79. 
About  1779  he  removed  to  Vermont,  practised  law,  and  entering 
public  life  held  various  offices.  In  1791  he  was  elected  one  of 
the  first  Senators  from  Vermont,  and  for  a  time  presided  over 
the  Senate.  He  served  two  terms.  From  Westminster,  where  he 
first  lived  in  Vermont,  he  removed  in  1818  to  Walpole,  N.  H., 
and  died  there  December  9,  1830. 

DAVID  BUSHNELL, 

Captain,  Sappers  and  Miners,  Continental  Army. 

Inventor  Submarine  Torpedo. 

The  "  ingenious  "  Bushnell  was  born  at  Saybrook,  (Parish  of 
Westbrook)  Connecticut,  about  the  year  1742,  being  nearly  thirty 
years  of  age  when  he  entered  college.  He  early  developed  a 
fondness  for  mechanics,  and  during  his  Freshman  year  projected 
a  submarine  boat  for  offensive  use  against  an  enemy's  vessel, 
which  he  completed  about  the  time  of  graduation  in  1775.  This 
was  built  at  Saybrook,  and  was  subsequently  known  as  the  Ameri 
can  Turtle.  The  practicability  of  working  the  machine  having  been 
demonstrated,  the  attention  of  Governor  Trumbull  and  his  council 
was  called  to  it  in  February,  1776,  and  Bushnell  was  requested  to 
proceed  with  his  experiments.  In  the  following  summer  the 
Turtle  was  taken  to  New  York  to  operate  against  the  British 
man-of-war  Asia,  lying  off  Governor's  Island.  The  attempt  was 
made  one  night  in  August,  but  failed  because  of  the  inexperience 
of  a  new  operator  to  whom  Bushnell  was  obliged  to  entrust  il. 
The  success  of  the  torpedo,  however,  as  a  submarine  contrivance 
for  the  purpose  intended  was  acknowledged.  Later  in  the  year 
another  attempt  was  made  in  the  Hudson,  but  again  failed  through 
unskilful  management.  Bushnell  then  turned  his  attention  to 
other  means  of  destroying  the  enemy's  shipping,  the  Connecticut 
Council  having  authorized  him  in  April,  1777,  to  continue  in  his 
experiments  at  the  public  expense,  and  for  the  next  two  years  he 
was  secretly  engaged  in  his  efforts  at  different  points.  For  ex 
ample,  in  August,  1777,  he  floated  a  machine  against  the  frigate 
Cerberus,  lying  at  anchor  in  Black  Point  Bay,  west  of  New  Lon 
don  harbor,  but  it  struck  a  schooner  near  its  stern,  and  de 
molished  that  instead.  Commodore  Symonds,  commanding  the 


Roll  of  Honor.  307 

Cerberus,  was  so  alarmed  at  this  destructive  attempt  that  he  re 
turned  to  New  York  to  warn  naval  vessels  of  the  "  secret  modes 
of  mischief  "  the  rebels  were  devising.  Again  about  Christmas 
time  of  the  same  year  Bushnell  floated  kegs  of  powder  down  the 
Delaware  against  the  fleet  off  Philadelphia,  but  ice  and  tide  scat 
tering  them,  they  proved  harmless.  One  is  said  to  have  blown  up 
a  boat  with  two  boys  in  it,  and  to  have  caused  a  general  alarm, 
which  prompted  Hopkinson  to  write  his  humorous  verses  on 
"  The  Battle  of  the  Kegs."  Early  in  May,  1779,  while  Bushnell 
was  near  Norwalk,  Conn.,  a  party  of  the  enemy  landed  at  night 
and  carried  him  off,  with  a  few  others,  as  prisoner.  General  Put 
nam,  in  reporting  the  incident  to  Washington,  says  :  "  As  the 
last-mentioned  gentleman  [Bushnell],  who  was  there  in  the  prose 
cution  of  his  unremitted  endeavors  to  destroy  the  enemy's  ship 
ping,  is  personally  known  to  very  few  people,  it  is  possible  he  may 
not  be  discovered  by  his  real  name  or  character,  and  may  be  con 
sidered  of  less  consequence  than  he  actually  is."  The  enemy, 
fortunately,  did  not  recognize  him,  and  he  was  exchanged  a  few 
days  later,  May  loth,  as  a  civilian.  Although  not  meeting  with 
the  success  that  his  ingenuity,  with  proper  practical  apparatus, 
had  made  possible,  Bushnell  retained  the  confidence  of  those  who 
knew  of  his  work,  and  to-day  he  is  regarded  as  our  pioneer 
naval  inventor.  General  Abbot,  whose  views  are  quoted  on  page 
56,  says  in  the  introduction  to  his  valuable  compilation  that  this 
graduate  "  originated  the  first  submarine  boat  capable  of  locomo 
tion  of  which  we  have  any  accurate  records.  To  him,  therefore, 
has  justly  been  conceded  the  credit  of  inaugurating  modern  tor 
pedo  warfare." 

In  the  summer  of  1779  tne  corps  of  Sappers  and  Miners  was 
organized  in  the  Continental  Army,  and  Bushnell  was  appointed 
one  of  its  Captain-Lieutenants,  with  commission  dated  August  26. 
of  that  year.  He  was  warmly  recommended  for  the  position  by 
Governor  Trumbull  and  others.  On  June,  1781,  he  was  promoted 
full  Captain,  and  going  with  Washington's  force  to  Virginia  par 
ticipated  in  the  siege  and  victory  of  Yorktown.  Returning  to  the 
Hudson  camps,  he  remained  in  the  service  until  the  disbandment 
of  the  last  troops  in  December,  1783.  He  was  then  in  command 
of  his  corps  at  West  Point.  One  of  the  garrison  orders  from 
General  Knox,  dated  October  25,  1783,  runs  as  follows  : 


jo8         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

"  Captain  Bushnell  of  the  Sappers  and  Miners  will  be  so  good  as  to  super 
intend  the  repair  of  the  road  from  the  deposit  of  wood  to  the  Garrison.  This 
being  the  only  passage  for  the  garrison,  it  must  be  put  into  the  best  state  that 
our  means  will  admit.  Capt.  Bushnell  will  call  upon  the  General  for  particular 
instructions." 

After  the  war  Captain  Bushnell  returned  to  Connecticut ;  but 
having  expended  much  of  his  personal  property  on  his  inventions, 
for  which  he  received  a  very  inadequate  consideration  from  the 
State  in  1784,  he  determined  to  try  his  fortunes  abroad.  He 
went  to  France,  but  returned,  and  settled  as  a  physician  in 
Georgia,  taking  the  assumed  name  of  Dr.  Bush.  There  he 
lived  in  a  retired  manner  until  his  death  in  1826.  Member 
Connecticut  Cincinnati  Society. 


HENRY  DAGGETT, 

Lieutenant,  Continental  Army. 

Eldest  son  of  President  Daggett,  born  February  24  (?),  1758. 
He  was  commissioned  Second  Lieutenant  of  Colonel  Swift's 
Seventh  Connecticut  Line,  April  28,  1778,  and  probably  joined 
his  regiment  at  Valley  Forge.  In  that  case  he  must  have  been  with 
the  army  at  Monmouth  in  June  following.  April  n,  1780,  he 
was  commissioned  First  Lieutenant  and  served  as  Quartermaster 
of  the  regiment,  which  was  thereafter  stationed  generally  in  the 
Highlands.  From  1781  to  1783  he  was  in  the  Second  Regiment 
under  Swift,  and  left  the  service  with  it  at  the  close  of  the  war. 
After  the  Revolution  he  was  long  a  merchant  in  New  Haven,  where 
he  died  July  20,  1843.  Member  Connecticut  Cincinnati  Society. 


EBENEZER  HUNTINGTON, 

Lieutenant-Colonel,  Continental  Army. 

Son  of  Hon.  Jabez  Huntington,  class  of  1741,  who  has  already 
been  noticed  as  Senior  Maior-General  or  Connecticut  militia. 
He  was  born  at  Norwich,  December  20,  1754.  The  circum- 


Roll  of  Honor.  309 

stances  under  which  he  entered  the  service — his  spirited  flight 
from  college  to  camp  without  permission  after  the  Lexington 
alarm — have  been  mentioned  in  the  text  (p.  9),  and  frequent  ref 
erences  to  him  follow.1 

In  the  Cincinnati  Society  records  he  dates  his  war  career  from 
April  21,  1775,  the  day  he  left  New  Haven.  Going  forward  by 
way  of  Wethersfield  to  the  Boston  camps,  he  served  there  as  a 
volunteer  until  September  8th,  when  he  was  appointed  lieutenant 
in  Captain  Chester's  company,  in  Spencer's  regiment.  His 
brother,  Colonel  Jedidiah  H.,  recommending  him  to  the  governor 
in  a  letter  of  August  25th,  says  :  "  He  has  in  several  instances, 
whilst  at  this  camp,  exhibited  evidences  of  his  courage."  January 
i,  1776,  Huntington  became  First  Lieutenant  in  Col.  Wyllys' 
regiment  and  served  with  it  to  the  close  of  the  Boston  siege  and 
through  the  campaign  around  New  York.  He  was  doubtless  at 
the  battle  of  Long  Island,  where  his  regiment  was  stationed  at 
one  of  the  Flatbush  passes,  and  again  in  the  retreat  from  New 
York  and  subsequent  operations.  During  this  campaign  he  was 
promoted  Captain,  and  on  October  26,  1776,  he  received  the  tem 
porary  appointment  of  Dep.  Adj.  General  to  Heath's  division, 
which  position  he  retained  to  the  end  of  the  year. 

Upon  the  organization  of  the  Continental  Line  Huntington 
was  promoted,  January  i,  1777,  Major  of  Col.  S.  B.  Webb's  "ad 
ditional  "  regiment  raised  in  Connecticut,  which  has  been  men 
tioned  as  having  more  Yale  graduates  among  its  officers  than  any 
other,  and  which  was  intended  to  be  an  elite  corps  in  the  army. 
It  saw  much  service  and  sustained  its  reputation.  During  the 
year  1777  it  formed  a  part  of  Putnam's  force  on  the  Hudson,  and 
early  in  December  engaged  in  a  secret  expedition  to  the  Long 
Island  shore.  This  met  with  failure,  however,  and  cost  the  regi 
ment  its  colonel  and  other  officers  taken  prisoners  of  war.  Hun- 

1  In  a  letter  dated  September  25,  1775,  published  in  the  family  genealogy, 
Huntington  admits  that  he  left  college  without  leave,  and  states  furthermore 
that  if  the  Faculty  declined  to  award  him  a  certificate  or  diploma  of  gradua 
tion  on  that  account,  Pres.  Langdon,  of  Harvard,  stood  ready  to  give  him  one. 
If  the  date  of  this  letter  is  correctly  printed,  Huntington  simply  had  not  heard 
that  the  Yale  Faculty  had  voted  him  the  degree  of  A.B.,  July  25th  previous, 
when  all  the  members  of  his  class  received  the  same.  August  8th  following 
Harvard  awarded  him  the  honorary  degree.  The  minutes  of  the  Fellows  at 
Watertown  read  :  "  Voted,  That  Ebenezer  Huntington,  of  Norwich,  admitted 
to  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts  this  year  at  Yale  College,  be  admitted  in  this 
College  ad eundem" 


3io         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

tington  was  fortunate  enough  to  get  back  safely.  Writing  to  Gen. 
Gates,  Gov.  Trumbull  says  :  "  Major  Ebenr.  Huntington  with 
eighty  men  escaped  and  came  to  New  London  the  morning  of  the 
i4th  inst.  [Dec.]  at  Day  Brake."  Others  returned  at  different 
points,  and  the  regiment  reassembled  in  winter  quarters.  In  the 
summer  of  1778  it  was  despatched  with  other  troops  into  Rhode 
Island,  where  it  fought  well  in  the  battle  of  August  29th.  The 
Lieut. -Colonel  leaving  the  service  presently,  Major  Huntington 
commanded  the  regiment  for  more  than  two  years  after  the  bat 
tle  ;  and  that  he  kept  it  in  excellent  shape  appears  from  Steu- 
ben's  criticism  on  page  no.  Remaining  in  Rhode  Island  until 
the  fall  of  1779,  the  regiment  next  appears  in  winter  quarters  at 
Morristown,  N.  J.,  1779-80,  and  in  June,  1780,  it  took  part  in  the 
action  at  Springfield  under  Huntington's  command,  as  stated  on 
page  117.  See  also  letters  pp.  113-14.  In  the  following  autumn 
the  Major  was  promoted  Lieut.-Colonel,  with  commission  dating 
October  10,  1780.  He  had  received  the  appointment  before  that, 
but  a  dispute  arose  between  himself  and  Lieut. -Col.  Ebenezer 
Gray,  class  of  1763,  as  to  seniority  of  rank,  which  caused  a  long 
delay,  resulting,  however,  in  Huntington's  favor — his  commission 
being  made  to  ante-date  Gray's  by  five  days.  The  case  was 
warmly  contested,  as  it  was  referred  successively  to  the  Governor 
and  Council  of  Connecticut,  to  the  Board  of  War,  to  Washington, 
and  by  the  latter  to  a  court  of  inquiry,  consisting  of  Major-Gen 
erals  Gates,  Heath,  and  St.  Clair,  and  Colonels  Greaton  and  Og- 
den.  A  final  decision  was  not  reached  until  October,  1782.  On 
June  27,  1781,  Huntington  was  detailed  to  serve  as  Lieut.-Colonel 
of  Col.  ScammeH's  Light  Infantry  regiment,  which  formed  the 
van  of  the  army,  and  marched  with  Washington  to  Yorktown. 
Upon  Scammell's  death  at  the  opening  of  the  siege,  Huntington 
commanded  one  half  the  regiment  as  a  separate  corps  and  Col. 
Laurens  the  other  half,  both  being  assigned  to  Lafayette's  Light 
Division  on  the  right  of  the  line.  For  a  short  time  during  the 
operations  and  after  he  is  said  to  have  served  as  Aid  to  Gen.  Lin 
coln.  Returning  to  the  North,  Huntington  remained  with  the 
army  until  the  final  disbandment  in  November,  1783.  He  was 
then  Lieut.-Colonel  of  Swift's  regiment. 

After  the  war  Col.  Huntington  resided  at  Norwich  as  a  business 
man,  went  to  Congress  two  terms,  1810  and  1817,  and  held  the 
rank  of  Brigadier  and  Adjutant-General  of  the  Connecticut  mill- 


Roll  of  Honor. 


tia  for  several  years.     He  died  June  17,  1834.     Member  Connecti 
cut  Cincinnati  Society. 


DAVID  JUDSON, 

Captain,  Continental  A  rmy. 

A  native  of  Woodbury,  Conn.;  born  March  9,  1755.  Accord 
ing  to  the  Cincinnati  record  his  service  in  the  army  began  June 
7,  1776,  when  he  probably  joined  one  of  the  Connecticut  regi 
ments  in  Wadsworth's  brigade  at  New  York.  January  i,  1777, 
he  was  commissioned  Second  Lieutenant  in  Colonel  Chandler's 
Eighth  Connecticut  Line,  which  fought  at  Germantown  and  win 
tered  at  Valley  Forge,  1777-78.  Judson  was  certainly  at  the  lat 
ter  camp,  as  in  after  life  he  used  to  recall  the  fatigues  and  hard 
ships  of  the  troops  there.  March  10,  1778,  he  was  promoted 
First  Lieutenant,  and  was  doubtless  present  at  Monmouth  in  June 
following.  In  1779-80  he  acted  as  Brigade  Quartermaster  of 
Parsons'  brigade.  Wintering  at  Morristown,  he  remained  with 
Washington's  army,  generally  along  the  Hudson,  until  the  close 
of  the  war,  having  in  the  meantime,  May  29,  1782,  been  promoted 
Captain  in  the  First  Regiment  under  Col.  Zebulon  Butler.  Re 
turning  home,  he  rose  to  some  prominence,  and  from  1794  to 
1801  was  Brigadier-General  in  the  State  Militia.  In  1806  he  re 
moved  with  his  family  to  Black  Lake,  in  the  town  of  Oswegatchie, 
N.  Y.,  where  Ogdensburg  now  stands,  and  died  there,  February 
1 8,  1818.  His  son,  David  C.  Judson,  was  for  fifty  years  identified 
with  the  growth  and  interests  of  Ogdensburg.  Member  Connecti 
cut  Cincinnati  Society. 


312         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

JOHN  Mix, 

Lieutenant,   Continental  Army. 

Of  Farmington,  Conn.  ;  born  1755.  He  entered  the  army  as 
Ensign  in  the  Third  Connecticut  Regiment,  Colonel  Wyllys, 
January  i,  1777,  and  served  at  first  along  the  Hudson,  and  in 
fortifying  West  Point.  April  28,  1778,  he  was  promoted  Lieu 
tenant  and  Adjutant  of  Col.  Butler's  Second  Connecticut  Regi 
ment,  and  afterwards  acted  as  Quartermaster.  From  January  i, 
1781,  to  the  close  of  the  war  he  was  in  Col.  S.  B.  Webb's  regi 
ment  in  the  Highlands.  He  remained  in  service  until  September, 
1783.  After  the  war  Mix  settled  in  Farmington,  and  held  various 
offices.  He  kept  the  position  of  Town  Clerk  for  thirty-two  years 
from  r79i,  represented  his  town  in  the  Assembly,  six  sessions  ex- 
cepted,  for  twenty-five  years,  and  from  1810  to  1820  was  Probate 
Judge.  In  1796  the  governor  appointed  him  Quartermaster- 
General  of  the  State  Militia,  with  the  rank  of  Lieutenant-Colonel. 
He  was  thereafter  known  as  Col.  Mix.  In  1776  he  married 
Martha  Cowles,  daughter  of  Solomon  and  Martha  (Spencer) 
Cowles,  who  died  February  23,  1826,  aged  72.  Col.  Mix  himself 
died  April  29,  1834,  leaving  no  descendants.  Member  Connecti 
cut  Cincinnati  Society. 


JAMES  MORRIS, 

Captain,  Continental  Army. 

Resident  of  Litchfield,  Conn.,  where  he  was  born  January  19, 
1752.  He  first  appears  in  service  as  Ensign  of  Col.  Fisher  Gay's 
Connecticut  regiment,  Wadsworth's  brigade,  which  formed  a 
part  of  Washington's  army  in  the  campaign  of  1776  around  New 
York.  His  commission  from  the  governor  was  dated  June  2oth 
of  that  year.  He  was  at  the  Brooklyn  front  during  the  battle  of 
Long  Island,  and  passed  through  the  subsequent  experiences  of 
the  army  to  the  battle  of  White  Plains.  January  i,  1777,  he  re 
ceived  the  appointment  of  First  Lieutenant  in  the  new  Fifth 
Connecticut  Regiment,  Col.  Bradley's,  and  served  with  it  in 
Pennsylvania,  where  he  was  taken  prisoner  at  the  battle  of  Ger- 


Roll  of  Honor.  313 

mantown,  October  4th.  His  own  interesting  account  of  his  cap 
ture  appears  in  the  extract  from  his  journal,  printed  on  page  74. 
He  remained  a  prisoner  at  Philadelphia  for  about  eight  months, 
and  then  embarked  with  other  prisoners  for  New  York,  where  he 
was  paroled  to  certain  limits  around  Brooklyn.  He  took  up  his 
quarters  at  Mr.  John  Lett's  house  in  Bushwick,  and  was  not  ex 
changed  until  January  3,  1781.  How  he  spent  his  time  there  ap 
pears  from  his  pen  in  Doc.  57,  Vol.  III.,  L.  I.  Hist.  Soc.  series. 
During  his  captivity  he  was  promoted  Captain-Lieutenant,  July 
29,  1780,  and  full  Captain  on  August  22d  of  the  same  year. 

His  case  is  referred  to  in  Division  Orders  of  June  23,  1781,  as 
follows  : 

"  Capt.  Morris  being  a  Prisoner  at  the  time  of  his  promotion,  and  having 
had  no  opportunity  of  being  heard  on  his  claim  of  Rank  with  Capt.  Weed,  a 
Court  of  Enquiry  is  therefore  to  sit  this  afternoon  at  the  President's  Marquee 
to  hear  the  claims  of  those  officers  and  report  with  their  opinion.  Col.  Butler 
will  preside.  A  Capt.  from  the  2d  and  4th  Regts." 

In  the  summer  of  1781,  not  long  after  rejoining  the  army,  he 
was  detached  with  his  company  to  serve  in  Col.  Alex.  ScammeH's 
Light  Infantry  Regiment,  organized  for  special  duty  at  the  front. 
It  engaged  in  some  skirmishes  in  Westchester  County,  and  then 
marched  to  Yorktown,  Va.,  with  Washington.  There  it  was  as 
signed  to  Lafayette's  Light  Division  on  the  right  of  the  line  of  in 
vestment,  and  supported  the  column  under  Hamilton,  which 
assaulted  one  of  the  enemy's  redoubts  on  the  night  of  October 
i4th.  Captain  Morris'  reference  to  the  surrender  appears  on  page 
138.  Returning  to  the  Highlands,  he  remained  in  the  service  un 
til  January  i,  1783. 

After  the  war  Capt.  Morris  returned  to  Litchfield  and  estab 
lished  the  "  Morris  Academy  "  for  young  men  preparing  for  col 
lege  or  business  life,  which  became  widely  known  and  patronized. 
He  represented  the  town  in  the  Assembly  several  sessions.  His 
death  occurred  April  20,  1820.  Member  Connecticut  Cincinnati 
Society. 


314         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

SIMEON  NEWELL, 

Captain,  Connecticut  Troops. 

A  native  of  Southington,  Conn.;  born  February  5,  1748. 
Descendant  of  Thomas  Newell,  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  Farm- 
ington.  He  entered  the  service  in  the  summer  of  1775  as  Ser 
geant  in  Major  Clark's  company,  Col.  Jed.  Huntington's  regi 
ment,  and  served  through  the  siege  of  Boston.  October  19,  1775, 
he  was  promoted  Ensign  on  the  Colonel's  recommendation,  and 
again  promoted,  January  i,  1776,  Lieutenant  in  Huntington's 
reorganized  regiment,  which  was  called  the  Seventeenth  Foot. 
This  regiment  served  through  the  New  York  campaign,  and  was 
closely  engaged  at  the  battle  of  Long  Island  under  Gen.  Parsons. 
It  fought  along  the  northwesterly  edge  of  the  present  Greenwood 
Cemetery,  and  lost  heavily  in  prisoners.  Newell,  if  with  his 
regiment  at  the  time,  escaped,  and  served  to  the  end  of  the  year. 
On  the  October  returns,  shortly  before  the  battle  of  White  Plains, 
he  appears  as  one  of  the  only  nine  company  officers  in  camp  fit 
for  duty.  He  was  then  recommended  for  a  lieutenancy  in  the 
new  Connecticut  Continental  Line  ;  but  his  name  does  not  ap 
pear  on  the  rolls,  although  his  Cincinnati  certificate,  dated  1786, 
states  that  he  was  Captain.  In  1780  he  seems  to  have  been  on 
special  duty,  under  the  governor's  directions,  ferreting  out  traitors 
and  Tories,  who  were  suspected  of  mischief  at  various  points.  In 
one  letter  he  thanks  the  governor  for  his  recognition  of  his  ser 
vices.  Some  years  after  the  war  he  removed  to  Sodus  Bay, 
N.  Y.,  where  his  eldest  son  resided,  and  died  there  in  1813. 
Member  Connecticut  Cincinnati  Society. 


JOHN  NOYES, 

Surgeon,  Continental  Army. 

A  physician  of  Lyme,  Conn.;  born  1756.  He  was  the  eldest 
son  of  Judge  William  and  Eunice  (Marvin)  Noyes,  the  judge 
being  a  grandson  of  Rev.  Moses  Noyes,  early  pastor  at  Lyme. 
Dr.  John's  younger  brothers,  William  and  Matthew  Noyes,  also 
graduated  at  Yale.  William  received  an  appointment  as  Ensign 


Roll  of  Honor.  315 

in  the  army,  and  his  name  was  placed  on  the  rolls  about  the  time 
of  his  graduation,  but  he  did  not  accept. 

Dr.  Noyes  was  commissioned  Surgeon  of  Col.  Josiah  Starr's 
First  Connecticut  Regiment,  October  i,  1778,  and  served  to  the 
close  of  the  war.  He  was  stationed  generally  on  the  Hudson. 
Returning  to  Lyme  after  the  war,  he  practised  his  profession  suc 
cessfully  until  his  death,  July  n,  1808.  Member  Connecticut 
Cincinnati  Society. 


WILLIAM  PECK, 

Deputy  Adj. -General,  Continental  Army. 

A  descendant  of  William  Peck,  one  of  the  founders  of  New 
Haven  Colony.  He  belonged  to  the  Lyme  branch  of  the  family, 
and  was  born  at  that  place  December  15,  1755.  Col.  Peck  en 
tered  the  service  during  the  siege  of  Boston,  and  remained  in  it 
until  after  the  surrender  of  Yorktown.  He  appears  first  as  Adju 
tant  of  Huntington's  Connecticut  regiment — the  Seventeenth  Con 
tinental  Foot, — January  i,  1776,  from  which  it  would  seem  that  he 
had  been  in  camp  before  that.  He  went  with  the  army  to  New 
York,  and  on  June  23,  1776,  was  appointed,  by  Washington's  or 
ders,  Brigade  Major  of  Spencer's  brigade,  and  continued  in  the 
same  capacity  when  it  was  placed  under  Gen.  Parsons'  command. 
Upon  Spencer's  promotion  as  Major-General,  Peck  was  appointed 
his  Aid-de-Camp,  with  the  brevet  rank  of  Major,  August  14, 1776. 
Spencer's  division  was  transferred  to  the  Brooklyn  front,  and  en 
gaged  in  part  in  the  battle  of  August  27th.  Major  Peck  was 
doubtless  active  there  and  during  the  retreat,  as  well  as  in  the  re 
treat  from  New  York  on  September  i5th  following.  The  battle 
of  White  Plains,  October  28th,  opened  with  a  skirmish  between 
the  enemy  and  some  regiments  of  his  division.  In  1777,  when 
Gen.  Spencer  was  sent  to  take  command  in  Rhode  Island,  Peck 
went  with  him  as  Deputy  Adjutant-General  of  the  forces  there. 
This  position  he  held  under  Generals  Sullivan,  Gates,  and  Heath, 
who  successively  commanded  that  department.  The  following 


316         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

MSS.  note  from  Sullivan  to  Gates  shows  the  former's  apprecia 
tion  of  him  : 

' '  HEAD  QUARTERS,  PROVIDENCE, 

"  March  the  26th,  1779. 
' '  DEAR  GENERAL  : 

"I  beg  leave  to  introduce  to  your  Acquaintance,  and  recommend  to  your 
Patronage,  Col?  William  Peck,  a  Gentleman  who  has  acted  as  Adjutant-General 
in  this  Department  since  I  have  had  the  honor  of  commanding  it.  His  atten 
tion  to  and  observance  of  the  duties  of  his  station  as  an  officer  have  been  so  gen 
erally  acknowledg'd,  and  his  private  character  so  uniformly  unexceptionable, 
that  I  think  myself  fully  justified  in  this  Recommendation. 

"  I  have  the  honor  to  subscribe  myself,  with  Esteem,  Dear  Genl. 

' '  Yr.  obedient  and  very  hble.  Sevt. 

"  JNO.  SULLIVAN. 
"The  Honble.  M.  Genl.  GATES." 

After  the  French  contingent  arrived  in  Rhode  Island  in  the 
summer  of  1780,  Peck  doubtless  met  many  of  its  officers.  The 
Marquis  de  Chastellux  makes  this  reference  to  a  visit  at  his  house 
in  Providence  : 

"The  13th  (Nov.,  1780)  I  breakfasted  with  Colonel  Peck:  He  is  an 
amiable  and  polite  young  man,  who  passed  the  last  summer  with  General  Heath 
at  Newport.  He  received  me  in  a  charming  small  house,  where  he  lived  with 
his  wife,  who  is  young  also,  and  has  a  pleasing  countenance,  but  without  any 
thing  striking.  This  little  establishment,  where  comfort  and  simplicity  reign, 
gave  an  idea  of  that  sweet  and  serene  state  of  happiness  which  appears  to  have 
taken  refuge  in  the  New  World,  after  compounding  it  with  pleasure,  to  which 
it  has  left  the  Old." 

The  Colonel  retired  from  the  service  in  October-November, 
1781,  and  settled  at  Providence,  where  he  died  May  19,  1832. 
For  nearly  twenty  years  he  was  United  States  Marshal  for  Rhode 
Island,  a  position  to  which  Washington  first  appointed  him. 
Member  Rhode  Island  Cincinnati  Society. 


Roll  of  Honor.  317 

RICHARD  SILL, 

Major  and  A.D.C.,  Continental  Army. 

A  native  of  Lyme,  Conn.,  where  he  was  born  July  15,  1755. 
He  appears  first  at  the  siege  of  Boston,  1775-76,  and  is  entered  on 
the  rolls  of  Col.  Parsons'  Connecticut  regiment,  January  i,  1776, 
as  Lieutenant  and  Paymaster.  The  regiment,  which  was  the 
"  Tenth  Foot  "  of  that  year's  establishment,  took  an  active  part 
in  the  campaign  around  New  York.  Sill  was  with  it  present  at  the 
battle  of  Long  Island,  and  the  retreat  to  New  York.  On  the  day 
the  city  was  abandoned,  September  i5th,  he  was  caught  in  the 
hurried  march  and  panic  of  the  troops,  and  mentions  some  of  the 
incidents  in  testimony  he  gave  before  a  court  of  inquiry. 
January  i,  1777,  he  was  reappointed  Lieutenant  and  Paymaster 
in  Col.  Chandler's  Eighth  Regiment  of  the  new  Connecticut 
Line,  which  served  in  the  Pennsylvania  campaign  at  Germantown 
and  Valley  Forge.  He  was  probably  at  Monmouth  in  June, 
1778,  and  is  reported  "  sick  in  camp  "  at  White  Plains,  where  the 
army  was  stationed  after  the  battle,  in  August  following.  During 
the  winter  of  1779-80  he  was  at  the  Morristown  huts.  Promoted 
Captain  April  22,  1781,  in  Sherman's  Fifth  Connecticut,  he 
served  along  the  Hudson,  and  for  a  time  was  assistant  to  Col. 
Grosvenor,  Deputy  Adjutant-General  of  the  Connecticut  Division. 
Still  later,  September  26,  1781,  he  was  invited  to  become  Aid-de- 
Camp,  with  the  rank  of  Brevet-Major,  to  Maj.-Gen.  Lord  Stir 
ling,  with  whom  he  remained  until  his  death  on  January  14,  1783. 
His  letter  reporting  the  General's  death  to  Washington  appears 
on  page  148.  The  Major  then  being  at  Albany,  studied  law  in 
the  office  of  Aaron  Burr,  where  he  also  met  Hamilton,  and  estab 
lished  himself  in  the  profession  in  that  city.  His  career  was  suc 
cessful,  but  cut  short  by  impaired  health,  his  death  occurring 
June  4,  1790,  at  Bethlehem,  N.  Y.,  at  the  residence  of  Col. 
Francis  Nicoll,  whose  daughter  Elizabeth  Major  Sill  had  married 
May  2,  1785.  He  served  two  sessions  in  the  Assembly,  and  not 
long  before  his  decease  had  been  appointed  one  of  the  New  York 
commissioners  on  the  disputed  Vermont  boundary.  Noticing 
his  death,  the  Albany  Gazette  says  :  "  It  would  be  a  piece  of  in 
justice  not  to  observe  on  this  occasion  that,  independent  of  the 
services  of  this  gentleman  in  the  army  of  the  United  States  during 


318         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

the  late  war,  his  good  sense,  affable  manners,  and  amiable  dispo 
sition,  added  to  the  strictest  integrity  in  public  as  well  as  private 
life,  rendered  his  character  in  the  highest  degree  respectable,  and 
his  death  a  public  misfortune,  as  well  as  a  most  distressing  loss 
to  an  amiable,  disconsolate  wife  and  two  lovely  infants."  Mem 
ber  Connecticut  Cincinnati  Society. 


BENJAMIN  WELLES, 

Commissary  and  Surgeon,  Connecticut. 

Dr.  Welles,  the  son  of  Rev.  Dr.  Noah  Welles,  of  the  class  of 
1741,  was  born  at  Stamford,  November  22,  1756.  The  State  rec 
ords  show  that  on  June  10,  1777,  he  was  appointed  Issuing 
Commissary  of  Supplies  for  the  Connecticut  Continental  troops. 
Studying  medicine  he  appears  also  to  have  served  as  Surgeon  at 
a  later  period  of  the  war.  Subsequently  he  settled  in  the  practice 
of  his  profession  at  Wayne,  N.  Y.,  and  again  at  Kinderhook, 
where  he  died  April  19,  1813. 

ROGER  WELLES, 

Captain,  Continental  Army. 

An  active  light-infantry  officer  of  the  Connecticut  Line.  He 
was  a  descendant  of  Thomas  Welles,  one  of  the  early  governors  of 
the  Colony  ;  born  at  Wethersfield,  December  29,  1753.  Teach 
ing  school  until  the  close  of  1776,  he  joined  the  army  as  Lieuten 
ant  of  Col.  S.  B.  Webb's  "  additional  "  Continental  Regiment, 
with  commission  dating  January  i,  1777.  During  the  summer 
and  fall  of  that  year  he  served  under  Putnam  along  the  Hudson, 
and  in  the  first  part  of  the  following  year  assisted  in  the  construc 
tion  of  the  works  at  West  Point.  May  16,  1778,  he  was  promoted 
First  Lieutenant,  and  as  such  was  doubtless  at  the  battle  of 
Rhode  Island  on  August  29th.  He  was  Lieutenant  at  one  time 
in  Capt.  J.  Walker's  and  again  in  Wooster's  company,  both  gradu 
ates.  His  classmate,  Major  Huntington,  commanded  the  regi 
ment  most  of  the  time  in  that  department.  During  the  cold 
winter  of  1779-80  he  encamped  with  the  army  at  Morristown,  his 
regiment  then  being  in  Stark's  brigade,  which  in  June  following 


Roll  of  Honor.  319 

took  part  in  the  action  near  Springfield,  N.  J.,  under  Gen.  Greene. 
When  Lafayette's  Light  Infantry  Corps  was  organized  for  that 
year,  Welles  was  assigned  with  Capt.  Wyllys,  class  of  1773,  to  one 
of  the  Connecticut  companies.  Meanwhile  he  was  promoted 
Captain,  to  rank  from  April  9,  1780,  and  when  Lafayette  marched 
to  Virginia  with  a  Light  Corps  in  February,  1781,  the  Captain  was 
again  detached  to  serve  with  him,  with  Wyllys  this  time  as  the 
Major  of  his  battalion.  Under  Lafayette  he  experienced  all  the 
fatigues,  hardships,  and  excitements  of  his  famous  campaign 
against  Cornwallis,  and  shared  in  the  final  success  at  Yorktown. 
Extracts  from  some  of  the  Captain's  letters  from  Virginia  appear 
on  pages  133-42.  At  the  siege  of  Yorktown  his  battalion,  un 
der  Col.  Gimat  and  Major  Wyllys,  stormed  one  of  the  enemy's 
forts  on  the  night  of  October  i4th,  and  thereby  hastened  the  sur 
render  of  Cornwallis.  Welles,  who  was  an  officer  of  fine  presence, 
being  six  feet  two  inches  tall,  was  among  the  first  to  enter  the 
fort.  Returning  to  the  Hudson  camps,  the  Captain  was  for  the 
third  time  assigned  to  the  Light  Corps,  which  in  1782  was  com 
manded  by  his  own  Colonel,  Samuel  B.  Webb.  He  continued  in 
the  army  until  November,  1783,  when  he  retired  with  Col.  Swift's, 
or  the  last  Connecticut  regiment  in  the  service. 

After  the  war  he  settled  at  Newington,  and  represented  the 
town  in  the  Assembly  every  year  from  1790  until  his  death  on 
May  27,  1795.  He  was  at  the  time  Brig.-General  of  the  Seventh 
Brigade  of  the  State  Militia.  Member  Connecticut  Cincinnati 
Society. 


ELISHA  SCOTT  WILLIAMS, 

Land  and  Naval  Service. 

Afterwards  a  Baptist  minister ;  born,  probably,  at  East  Hart 
ford,  Conn.,  October  7,  1757.  In  a  notice  of  him  as  being  the 
oldest  living  graduate  of  the  college  at  the  time,  the  Yak  Literary 


320         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

Magazine  for  August,  1844,  says  :  "  There  was  no  public  com 
mencement  at  his  graduation  on  account  of  the  war.  He  was  in 
the  battle  of  Trenton  ;  afterwards  going  to  sea,  was  in  an  action 
with  the  British  ship  Levant,  of  thirty-two  guns,  in  which  the  cap 
tain  of  the  American  ship  was  killed."  The  American  vessel  was 
the  General  Hancock,  a  private  armed  cruiser  from  Boston,  com 
manded  by  Capt.  Hardy.  After  a  close  engagement  which  oc 
curred  September  19,  1778,  the  Levant  was  blown  up. 

The  above  is  the  only  record  that  can  be  found  respecting  Mr. 
Williams.  Studying  for  the  ministry,  he  preached  first  in  Maine, 
and  from  1803  to  1812  at  Beverly,  Mass.  He  died  at  the  latter 
place  February  3,  1845.' 

Class  of  1776. 

ELEAZAR  WILLIAMS  HOWE, 

Connecticut  Service. 

Of  Killingly,  Conn.  We  have  the  brief  reference  here  that  im 
mediately  after  graduation  Howe  went  into  the  army  with  Lieut.- 
Col.  Experience  Storrs'  regiment,  and  "  died  within  a  month."  In 
that  case  he  was  with  the  main  army  in  the  vicinity  of  White 
Plains  after  the  loss  of  New  York,  and  probably  died  in  October- 
November,  1776.  The  regiment  was  the  Fifth  Militia,  and  had 
been  ordered  into  the  field  for  two  or  three  months'  service  in  the 
fall  of  that  year. 

DANIEL  LYMAN, 

Major  and  A.D.C.,  Continental  Army. 

Afterwards  Chief-Justice  of  Rhode  Island  ;  born  at  Durham, 
Conn.,  January  27,  1756.  In  the  history  of  that  town  he  is  said 
to  have  been  one  of  the  students  who  left  college  upon  the  Lex 
ington  alarm  and  went  to  the  Boston  camps.  It  is  also  stated  that 
he  accompanied  Arnold  to  Ticonderoga,  and  was  at  the  capture 
of  that  place  in  May,  1775.  Returning  to  his  studies,  he  gradu 
ated  with  his  class,  and  very  soon  after  appears  in  Washington's 
army  in  the  position  of  Brigade-Major  of  Fellows'  Massachusetts 

1  Rev.  Noble  Everett,  of  this  class,  is  said  to  have  served  as  Chaplain. — Hist, 
of  Winchester,  Conn. 


Roll  of  Honor.  321 

State  Brigade,  appointment  dating  October  17,  1776.  He  was 
present  at  the  battle  of  White  Plains,  and  thereafter  continued  in 
the  service  to  the  close  of  the  war.  Upon  the  organization  of  the 
Continental  Line  he  joined  Col.  W.  R.  Lee's  "  additional  "  regi 
ment,  raised  in  Massachusetts,  with  the  rank  of  Captain,  commis 
sion  dating  January  i,  1777.  The  regiment  was  largely  recruited 
from  Boston,  where  the  Captain  remained  for  over  a  year.  Gen. 
Heath  at  that  time  commanded  the  district,  and  on  April  2,  1778, 
he  appointed  Lyman  "  Town  Major  "  of  the  city,  his  duties  cor 
responding  somewhat  to  those  of  Provost  Marshal.  On  May  pth 
following,  the  General  invited  him  to  become  a  member  of  his 
staff  with  the  rank  of  Brevet-Major,  a  position  which  Lyman  ac 
cepted  and  retained  throughout  the  contest.  During  the  opera 
tions  in  Rhode  Island  in  the  following  summer,  1778,  he  acted  as 
volunteer  aid  upon  the  staff  of  Gen.  Sullivan,  and  as  such  wrote 
frequent  letters  to  Heath  at  Boston,  giving  details  of  the  opera 
tions.  He  appears  to  have  gone  to  Rhode  Island  at  the  request 
of  the  latter  General.  In  the  summer  of  1779  Heath  returned  to 
Washington's  army  in  the  Highlands,  and  assumed  command  of 
the  Massachusetts  and  Connecticut  divisions  on  the  east  side  of 
the  river  above  Peekskill,  Lyman  being  with  him.  The  following 
winter  he  again  spent  in  Boston,  and  in  the  summer,  1780,  he  ac 
companied  Heath  to  Rhode  Island,  where  they  met  the  French  offi 
cers  upon  their  arrival  with  the  French  contingent.  Upon  the  dis 
covery  of  Arnold's  treachery  in  September,  Washington  requested 
Heath  to  repair  immediately  to  the  army,  and  from  that  time  he 
remained  with  it  until  June,  1783,  when  the  General  and  his  Aids 
retired  from  the  service. 

After  the  war  Major  Lyman  settled  as  a  lawyer  at  Newport, 
became  Judge  of  the  Superior  Court  and  then  Chief-Justice.  In 
May,  1790,  Washington  appointed  him  Surveyor  of  Newport,  but 
he  was  removed  by  the  next  administration.  Respecting  this 
change  the  Connecticut  Courant  has  the  following  item  in  the  issue 
for  March  2,  1802  :  "  The  office  of  Surveyor  and  Inspector  for 
the  port  of  Newport,  which  was  conferred  on  Major  Daniel  Lyman 
by  President  Washington,  as  a  mark  of  the  nation's  favor  for  his 
services  in  her  cause,  has  been  taken  from  him  and  presented  to 
Mr.  John  Slocum,  of  Newport,  as  a  reward  for  his  services  in  the 
cause  of  Mr.  Jefferson."  The  Major  died  at  North  Providence, 


o 


22         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 


where  he  lived  later  in  life,  October  16,  1830.     Member  Rhode 
Island  Cincinnati  Society,  of  which  he  was  President  in  1818. 


WILLIAM  LYMAN, 

Massachusetts  Service. 

In  a  sketch  of  General  Lyman,  printed  in  the  History  of  Dur 
ham,  Conn.,  it  is  stated  that  he  "  served  through  the  Revolution." 
His  name,  however,  does  not  appear  on  Continental  rolls  during 
the  last  half  of  the  war.  He  was  probably  the  William  Lyman 
who  served  with  militia  regiments  at  different  times.  There  is 
such  a  name  on  the  list  of  officers  of  Col.  Dike's  command,  which 
was  in  Rhode  Island  with  Gen.  Sullivan  in  August-September, 
1778. 

Lyman  was  born  at  Northampton,  Mass.,  December  7,  1755. 
During  Shay's  rebellion  he  was  Aid  to  Gen.  Shepard,  with  rank  of 
Major,  and  from  1796  to  1800  was  Brigadier- General  of  State 
Militia.  He  became  a  member  of  Congress  and  subsequently 
received  the  appointment  of  Consul- General  of  the  United  States 
at  London,  where  he  died,  September  2,  1811.  He  was  buried 
at  Gloucester  Cathedral,  and  afterwards  his  friends  erected  a 
monument  to  his  memory  in  the  old  cemetery  at  Northampton, 
Mass. 

SAMUEL  MILLS, 

Lieutenant,  Continental  Dragoons. 

Afterwards  Rev.  Samuel  Mills,  of  Chester,  Conn.  ;  born  in  the 
town  of  Canton,  1753.  Joining  the  army  as  Quartermaster-Ser 
geant  of  the  Second  Regiment  Light  Dragoons,  under  Col.  Shel 
don,  January  12,  1777,  Mr.  Mills  engaged  in  the  Pennsylvania 
campaign  in  the  fall  of  the  year,  and  was  doubtless  present  at  the 
battle  of  Germantown.  Two  months  later,  on  the  night  of  De 
cember  14,  1777,  he  was  taken  prisoner  while  on  duty,  with  a  cap 
tain  and  twenty  men  of  his  regiment,  "  near  Vandeering's  Mills 
on  the  ridge  road  running  by  the  Schuylkill  to  Philadelphia." 
The  party  was  surprised  and  five  of  them  captured,  "  whose 
names,"  says  the  captain  in  his  account  of  the  affair,  "are, 


Roll  of  Honor.  323 

for  the  satisfaction  of  any  concerned,  Quartermaster  Samuel 
Mills,  Isaac  Brown,  John  Chauncey,  Ephraim  Kirby,  and  Na- 
both  Lewis."  They  were  disarmed,  plundered  of  their  spurs, 
watches,  and  valuables,  and  then  ordered  to  be  killed.  "  Not 
withstanding  the  entreaties  and  prayers  of  the  unfortunate 
prisoners  for  mercy,"  continues  the  captain,  "  the  soldiers  fell 
upon  them  (the  officers  setting  the  example),  and  after  cut 
ting,  hacking,  and  stabbing  them  till  they  supposed  they  were 
dead,  they  left  them  (Brown  excepted,  whom  after  most  cruelly 
mangling  they  shot),  setting  fire  to  the  barn  to  consume  any  one 
who  might  be  in  it.  Mr.  Mills,  after  being  wounded  in  several 
places  in  the  head,  had  his  life  spared  and  is  now  a  prisoner. 
Brown  and  Chauncey  are  dead.  Kirby  and  Lewis  have  been 
properly  taken  care  of  and  I  trust  will  recover." — Conn.  Gazette, 
January  16,  1778.  Mills  was  confined  in  Philadelphia  a  few 
months  and  then  removed  to  New  Lots,  near  Brooklyn,  L.  I., 
where  he  remained  until  exchanged  in  1780.  While  a  prisoner 
he  was  promoted  to  a  lieutenancy  in  the  Dragoons,  June  2,  1778, 
but  upon  his  exchange,  resigned,  October  8,  1780. 

After  the  war  Lieut.  Mills  studied  for  the  ministry,  and  in 
1786  became  pastor  of  the  Fourth  Congregational  Church  of 
Saybrook,  now  in  Chester,  where  he  died  February  17,  1814. 
Member  Connecticut  Cincinnati  Society. 

HEATHCOTE  MUIRSON, 

Volunteer. 

Member  of  a  prominent  loyalist  family  of  Setauket,  L.  I. 
The  father,  Dr.  George  Muirson,  was  a  physician  of  some  dis 
tinction,  but  on  account  of  his  sentiments  the  Legislature  of  New 
York,  during  the  war,  attainted  his  person  and  confiscated  his 
estates.  He  left  the  country,  but  subsequently  returned  and  died 
at  New  Haven,  Conn.,  February  20,  1786.  A  son,  Sylvester, 
brother  of  Heathcote,  class  of  1771,  was  also  a  loyalist. 

Heathcote  Muirson  espoused  the  Revolutionary  cause  and  sac 
rificed  his  life  in  it.  During  hostilities  he  lived  in  Connecticut 
and  served  on  expeditions  as  a  volunteer.  In  particular,  he  took 
part  in  Maj.  Tallmadge's  attack  on  Fort  George,  L.  L,  November 
22,  1780,  and  acquitted  himself  so  well  that  the  Major  mentioned 
him  honorably  to  Washington,  who  in  reply  approved  of  the  for- 


324         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

mer's  recommendation  that  Muirson   be   appointed   to   the  first 
vacancy  among  the  officers  of  the  Second  Light  Dragoons. 

On  July  i2th  of  the  following  year,  1781,  he  engaged  in  an 
other  attack,  this  time  against  Lloyd's  Neck,  L.  I.  The  enter 
prise  was  conducted  under  the  protection  of  two  or  three  French 
ships.  It  is  stated  that  Muirson  went  along  as  a  guide  and  volun 
teer,  and  that  while  he  was  reconnoitring  the  Tory  fort  at  that 
point  his  arm  was  carried  away  by  a  cannon-shot.  Whatever  the 
particular  service  he  was  engaged  in,  he  was  mortally  wounded  on 
the  occasion  and  died  soon  after.  As  to  his  burial-place,  tradi 
tion  has  it  that  he  was  taken  by  the  French  to  Newport  and 
buried  there,  which  is  not  improbable. 

JOEL  NORTHROP, 

Surgeon  s  Mate,  Connecticut. 

Younger  brother  of  Lieutenant  Amos  Northrop,  class  of  1762  ; 
born  at  New  Milford,  Conn.,  July  27,  1753.  Studying  medicine, 
he  acted  as  Surgeon's  Mate  at  the  Military  Hospital  at  Danbury 
for  a  time.  In  1779  he  removed  to  New  Haven  to  practise  his 
profession,  and  died  there  February  9,  1807.  A  biographical 
sketch  of  him  appears  in  Vol.  II.,  New  Haven  Historical  Society 
Publications. 

NATHAN  PRESTON, 

Commissary,  Connecticut. 

A  native  of  Woodbury,  Conn.,  where  he  was  born  April  20, 
1756.  On  June  4,  1777,  the  State  Council  appointed  him  Com 
missary  of  Issues  for  the  Connecticut  Continental  troops,  a  posi 
tion  which  he  appears  to  have  held  for  some  time.  After  the  war 
he  attained  considerable  prominence  as  a  lawyer,  held  offices,  and 
became  a  judge.  His  death  occurred  September  20,  1822. 

AUGUSTINE  TAYLOR, 

Lieutenant  and  Paymaster,  Continental  Army. 

Son  of  Rev.  Nathaniel  Taylor,  class  of  1745,  who  is  spoken  of 
in  Sprague's  "  Annals  of  the  Pulpit  "  as  "  a  zealous  advocate  of 
the  American  Revolution."  "  One  of  the  ways  in  which  he 
evinced  this  was  by  remitting  to  his  people,  during  the  contest,  an 
entire  year's  salary.  This  fact  the  parish  records  show,  under  his 
hand,  bearing  date  April,  1779." 

Augustine  Taylor  was  born  at  New  Milford,  Conn.,  November 


Roll  of  Honor.  325 

28,  1755.  He  joined  the  Connecticut  Continental  Line  as  Second 
Lieutenant  or  Ensign  of  the  Seventh  Regiment,  under  Col.  Heman 
Swift,  commission  dated  January  i,  1777.  The  regiment  went 
into  camp  at  Peekskill  on  the  Hudson,  and  in  September  joined 
Washington's  army  in  Pennsylvania,  taking  part  in  the  battle  of 
Germantown,  October  4th.  Doubtless  Lieut.  Taylor  was  there,  as 
he  was  at  Valley  Forge  during  the  following  winter,  1777-78.  He 
was  also  present  at  the  battle  of  Monmouth,  June  28,  1778,  where 
he  suffered  some  permanent  injury  to  his  eyesight.  A  month 
later,  July  26th,  he  was  appointed  Paymaster  of  his  regiment,  and 
on  June  20,  1779,  received  promotion  to  a  first  lieutenancy. 
During  the  following  winter,  1779-80,  the  regiment  encamped 
with  the  army  at  the  Morristown  huts,  and  thereafter  was  gen 
erally  stationed  with  the  Connecticut  Line  in  the  Highlands. 
Lieut.  Taylor  remained  with  it  until  his  resignation  June  25,  1781. 
Returning  to  New  Milford,  he  became  an  influential  resident, 
and  in  1812  was  appointed  Major-General  of  State  Militia,  with 
the  command  of  the  posts  at  New  Haven  and  New  London. 
Not  being  in  good  health  at  the  time,  his  exertions  led  to  brain 
affection,  which  terminated  in  his  decease  February  10,  1816. 
He  is  described  as  a  martial  and  "elegant-looking  man."  May 
5,  1782,  he  married  Huldah  Canfield,  daughter  of  Col.  Samuel 
Canfield,  of  New  Milford,  who  survived  her  husband  about  thirty 
years.  The  General  was  the  uncle  of  Rev.  Dr.  Nathaniel  Taylor, 
class  of  1807,  the  New  Haven  theologian. 


JAMES  WATSON, 

Captain,  Continental  Army. 

Afterwards  United  States  Senator  from  New  York  ;  born  at 
Woodbury,  now  Bethlehem,  Conn.,  April  6,  1750.  He  descended 
from  John  Watson,  an  early  settler  of  Hartford,  and  was  one  of 
four  brothers  who  served  in  the  Revolutionary  army.  Of  these 
one  died  in  camp,  another  was  severely  wounded,  and  the  third 
became  a  Captain  in  the  Continental  Line. 


326         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

At  the  close  of  his  Senior  year,  Watson  received  the  appoint 
ment  of  Lieutenant  in  Col.  P.  B.  Bradley's  State  Regiment,  with 
commission  dated  June  10,  1776,  and  served  until  the  end  of  the 
year  in  the  campaign  around  New  York.  His  regiment  was  gen 
erally  stationed  on  the  Jersey  side,  along  Bergen  Heights,  and  at 
the  loss  of  Fort  Washington  in  November  suffered  heavily  in 
prisoners.  Returning  to  Connecticut,  he  joined  Col.  Samuel  B. 
Webb's  "  additional "  Continental  Regiment,  with  the  rank  of 
Captain,  to  date  from  January  i,  1777.  The  regiment  went  into 
camp  at  Peekskill  on  the  Hudson,  but  some  disagreement  arising 
in  regard  to  the  seniority  of  the  captains,  Watson  retired  about 
July  1 5th.  In  a  letter  of  that  date  written  from  camp,  he  refers 
to  his  claims  as  based  upon  "former  services."  Later  in  the  war, 
April,  1780,  he  was  appointed  Purchasing  Commissary  for  the 
Connecticut  Line,  and  appears  to  have  continued  in  that  position 
for  some  time.  Referring  to  this,  a  writer  from  Hartford  says  : 
"  Our  Assembly  have  adopted  the  plan  of  Congress  on  finance. 
They  have  also  taken  up  the  supplies  for  the  army,  and  appointed 
Col.  Champion  for  the  purchase  of  cattle,  pork,  flour,  etc.,  and 
Capt.  Watson  for  the  purchase  of  rum  and  hay.  .  .  .  To 
morrow  the  Captain  begins  his  purchases,  and  you  may  be  sure 
he  will  succeed." 

Removing  to  New  York  City  after  the  war,  Captain  Watson 
became  a  successful  merchant  and  prominent  citizen.  He  was 
appointed  Naval  Officer,  went  to  the  Assembly  several  sessions, 
and  was  elected  Speaker,  served  two  terms,  1796-98,33  State  Sen 
ator,  and  was  then  elected  United  States  Senator.  This  last  posi 
tion  he  retained  about  two  years,  resigning  March  19,  1800.  He 
also  appears  among  the  Regents  of  the  University  of  New  York 
after  1795.  It  was  largely  under  his  auspices  that  the  New  Eng 
land  Society  in  New  York  was  organized.  His  death  occurred  at 
his  residence,  No.  6  State  Street,  on  May  15,  1806.  Member 
Connecticut  and  New  York  Cincinnati  Societies.1 


1  Rev.  Ashbel  Baldwin,  of  this  class,  a  native  of  Litchfield,  Conn.,  is  stated 
to  have  been  an  officer  in  the  Revolutionary  War.  He  became  a  well-known 
Episcopalian  clergyman,  settled  first  at  Stratford,  Conn,,  and  later  at  Roches 
ter,  N.  Y. 


Roll  of  Honor.  327 

Class  of  1777. 

EBENEZER  BALLANTINE, 

Surgeons  Mate,  Continental  Army. 

Dr.  Ballantine  was  born  July  14,  1756,  at  Westfield,  Mass., 
where  his  father,  Rev.  John  Ballantine,  who  graduated  at  Harvard 
in  1735,  was  long  the  settled  Congregational  pastor.  After  study 
ing  surgery  and  medicine  he  entered  the  service  as  Surgeon's 
Mate  of  Col.  Thomas  Nixon's  Sixth  Massachusetts  Continental 
Regiment,  May  20,  1780,  and  remained  with  it  to  the  close  of  the 
war.  His  regiment  belonged  to  the  main  army  on  the  Hudson, 
and  was  at  times  stationed  at  West  Point.  Joel  Barlow,  class  of 
1778,  was  the  Chaplain  of  his  brigade,  and  John  Porter,  class  of 
1770,  Major  of  the  regiment.  After  the  war  Ballantine  continued 
his  medical  studies,  and  settled  as  a  physician  at  Schodach  Land 
ing,  N.  Y.,  where  he  practised  with  much  success.  In  1822  he 
removed  to  Marion,  Ohio,  and  died  there  in  the  following  year, 
1823.  Member  Massachusetts  Cincinnati  Society. 


JOHN  BARKER, 

Lieutenant,  Continental  Army. 

Born  at  Lebanon,  Conn.,  1757.  With  his  classmates,  Cogswell 
and  Selden,  he  joined  Col.  Henry  Jackson's  Massachusetts  Con 
tinental  Regiment,  to  rank  as  Lieutenant  from  January  i,  1777. 
He  joined  Washington's  army  in  Pennsylvania  some  time  after 
the  battle  of  Germantown,  and  wintered  at  or  near  Valley  Forge. 
At  Monmouth,  June,  1778,  his  regiment  was  closely  engaged,  and 
soon  after  marched  to  Rhode  Island,  and  fought  in  the  battle  of 
August  29th.  On  this  occasion  it  was  complimented  on  its  good 
conduct.  Lieut.  Chipman  speaks  of  meeting  his  classmates, 
Barker,  Cogswell,  and  Selden,  at  Stamford  as  they  were  on  the 
march  to  Rhode  Island.  Lieut.  Barker  continued  in  the  service 
until  about  March  i,  1779,  when  he  resigned.  After  the  war  he 
settled  as  a  physician  at  New  Haven,  where  he  died  February  24, 
1813. 


328          Yale  in  the  Revohition. 

NATHANIEL  CHIPMAN, 

Lieutenant,  Continental  Army. 

Afterwards  United  States  Senator  from  Vermont  ;  born  at 
Salisbury,  Conn.,  November  15,  1752.  He  was  commissioned 
January  i,  1777,  Ensign  in  the  Second  Connecticut  Continental 
Line,  Col.  Charles  Webb,  and  late  in  the  year  joined  Washington's 
army  in  Pennsylvania,  where  in  December  he  engaged  in  the 
sharp  skirmish  of  White  Marsh.  That  winter  the  regiment  en 
camped  at  Valley  Forge,  where  he  was  promoted  First  Lieuten 
ant  December  29,  1777,  and  in  June,  1778,  he  was  present  at  the 
battle  of  Monmouth.  The  army  then  encamped  at  White  Plains, 
where  Lieut.  Chipman  resigned  his  commission  October  16, 
1778.  Extracts  from  one  of  his  letters  from  Valley  Forge,  and 
also  from  some  of  his  poetic  efforts,  appear  on  pages  n,  85,  86. 

Upon  leaving  the  army  Chipman  studied  law,  and  in  the  spring 
of  1779  removed  to  Tinmouth,  Vt.,  to  practise.  There  he  rapidly 
rose  to  distinction,  and  filled  high  offices.  He  became  United 
States  District  Judge,  Chief-  Justice  of  the  State  Supreme  Court, 
and  for  six  years  after  1798  was  United  States  Senator.  In  1816 
he  was  appointed  Professor  of  Law  in  Middlebury  College.  His 
death  occurred  at  Tinmouth  February  13,  1843. 


/**^ 


MOSES  CLEAVELAND, 

Captain-Lieutenant,  Continental  Sappers  and  Miners. 

Of  Canterbury,  Windham  County,  Conn.,  where  he  was  born 
January  29,  1754.  Like  a  number  of  other  students  of  his  own 
and  other  classes,  he  entered  the  service  before  his  Senior  year 
closed,  and  without  loss  of  his  graduation  degree.  He  joined 
the  Second  Connecticut  Continental  Regiment,  Col.  Charles 
Webb,  as  Ensign,  to  rank  from  January  i,  1777.  During  the 
Burgoyne  campaign  he  served  under  Putnam  on  the  Hudson 
below  Albany,  and  late  in  the  fall  of  the  year  was  ordered  to 
Washington's  army  in  Pennsylvania.  His  regiment  took  part  in 
the  sharp  affair  of  White  Marsh  in  December,  1777,  and  soon 
after,  on  the  25th  of  the  month,  Cleaveland  was  promoted  First 


Roll  of  Honor.  329 

Lieutenant.  His  regiment  then  went  into  camp  at  Valley  Forge, 
and  in  June,  1778,  was  present  at  the  battle  of  Monmouth.  In 
the  summer  of  the  following  year  he  was  transferred  from  his 
command,  and  received  further  promotion  as  indicated  in  the  fol 
lowing  order  dated  Headquarters  in  the  Highlands,  August 
31,  1779:  ".  .  .  Lieut.  Cleaveland  is  appointed  Capt.- 
Lieut.  in  the  corps  of  Sappers  and  Miners  vice  Little,  resigned." 
He  joined  the  corps  September  ist,  with  commission  dated  Au 
gust  2,  1779.  With  this  he  continued  about  two  years,  and  then 
resigned  June  7,  1781. 

Returning  to  Canterbury,  Captain  Cleaveland  practised  law, 
became  a  member  of  the  Assembly,  and  Brigadier-General  of 
Militia.  In  1796  he  was  appointed  superintendent  of  the  Con 
necticut  Land  Company,  which  had  purchased  the  "  Western  Re 
serve  "  in  Ohio,  and  early  in  October  of  that  year  the  survey  of 
the  site  of  the  present  city  of  Cleveland  was  completed.  The 
place  was  named  in  his  honor.  The  General  then  returned 
home,  and  died  there  November  16,  1806.  Member  Connecticut 
Cincinnati  Society. 


«>> 

SAMUEL  COGSWELL, 

Lieutenant,  Continental  Army. 

Son  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  James  Cogswell,  of  Scotland  Parish,  Conn., 
and  brother  of  Dr.  Mason  Fitch  Cogswell,  noted  early  in  the 
present  century  as  a  physician  at  Hartford,  both  graduates  of  the 
college.  Samuel  was  born  May  23,  1754.  He  first  appears  in 
the  service,  with  commission  dated  July  i,  1777,  as  First  Lieu 
tenant  in  Col.  H.  Jackson's  "  additional,"  afterwards  Sixteenth 
and  Ninth  Massachusetts  Continental  Regiment,  which  wintered 
at  and  near  Valley  Forge  in  1777-78.  The  regiment  was  closely 
engaged  at  Monmouth  in  June  following,  and  again  in  the  battle 
of  Rhode  Island  August  29th.  In  that  State  it  remained  for  over 


330          Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

a  year,  being  posted  at  camps  "  Graves  Hill,"  "  Newtown," 
"  Kingston,"  etc.  It  started  to  relieve  the  Penobscot  expedition 
in  August,  1779,  but  returned,  and  after  a  brief  stay  at  Castle 
Hill,  Boston  harbor,  it  again  marched  to  Washington's  army,  and 
wintered  at  the  Morristown  huts,  1779-80.  In  June,  1780,  it  was 
engaged  at  the  battle  of  Springfield,  N.  J.,  and  then  marched  with 
the  army  to  the  Highlands.  In  July,  1781,  Cogswell  appears  as 
Adjutant  of  detached  companies  at  West  Point,  and  by  Mc- 
Dougall's  garrison  orders  of  September  4th  he  was  appointed 
Brigade-Major  of  a  temporary  brigade  under  Col.  M.  Jackson. 
Late  in  the  following  year,  November  12,  1782,  he  was  appointed 
Deputy  Judge- Advocate,  and  held  the  office  for  several  months. 
By  consolidation  of  regiments  he  was  transferred  from  the  Ninth 
to  the  Seventh,  and  on  June  16,  1783,  was  assigned  to  the  Fourth, 
with  which  he  remained  till  the  final  discharge  of  his  brigade 
toward  the  close  of  the  year.  He  may  have  been  present  at  the 
evacuation  of  New  York,  November  25,  1783.  On  his  way  home 
he  stopped  at  Stamford  to  visit  his  brother,  Surgeon  James  Cogs 
well,  who  on  December  i9th  wrote  to  his  father  as  follows  : 

"  This  will  be  delivered  by  my  brother  Samuel,  whose  company  we  have 
been  favored  with  some  time.  It  must  be  very  pleasing  to  you  to  see  him  again 
after  so  long  absence,  returning  from  the  dangers  that  attend  a  military  life,  un 
sullied  with  the  vices  that  accompany  it,  and  as  one  who  has  had  a  share  in  the 
arduous  task  of  successfully  opposing  one  of  the  most  potent  nations  in  the 
world,  and  in  procuring  peace  and  independence.  For  my  own  part,  I  view 
him  with  a  kind  of  respect,  mixed  with  fraternal  affection,  gratitude,  and  love." 

After  the  war  Cogswell  went  into  business  with  his  classmate 
Selden  at  Lansingburgh,  above  Troy,  N.  Y.  He  was  killed  while 
out  hunting,  August  20,  1790,  by  the  accidental  discharge  of  a 
gun  in  the  hands  of  one  of  the  party.  His  widow  married  his 
classmate,  Ebenezer  Fitch,  afterwards  first  president  of  Williams 
College.  Some  of  his  war  letters  appear  in  the  Cogswell  gen 
ealogy.  Member  Massachusetts  Cincinnati  Society. 


Roll  of  Honor.  331 

ELI  CURTISS, 

Lieutenant,  Continental  Army. 

A  native  of  Plymouth,  Conn.  After  the  war  he  practised  law 
at  Watertown,  and  was  the  first  member  of  the  profession  to  settle 
there.  According  to  a  memorial,  signed  by  himself,  on  file  in  the 
Hartford  Archives,  he  joined  the  Eighth  Connecticut  Continental 
Line — Col.  Chandler's — as  Sergeant-Major,  April  10,  1777.  He 
served  with  it  at  Germantown,  Valley  Forge,  and  Monmouth.  On 
November  17,  1777,  he  was  promoted  Ensign,  and  at  Valley  Forge 
he  was  again  promoted  Lieutenant,  April  21,  1778.  This  rank  he 
held  until  December  4,  1779,  when  he  resigned.  He  is  said  to 
have  lost  an  arm  in  the  service,  but  he  makes  no  mention  of  this 
in  the  memorial  referred  to.  His  death  occurred  at  Bristol, 
Conn.,  December  13,  1821. 

JAMES  DAVENPORT, 

Commissary  of  Supplies,  Connecticut. 

Fourth  son  of  Hon.  Abraham  Davenport,  class  of  1732,  and 
brother  of  Maj.  John  Davenport,  class  of  1770  ;  born  at  Stamford, 
Conn.,  October  12,  1758.  Towards  the  close  of  his  Senior  year, 
or  May  30,  1777,  young  Davenport  was  appointed  by  Gov.  Trum- 
bull  and  his  Council,  an  "  Issuing  Commissary  of  Supplies  for  the 
Connecticut  troops  in  Continental  service."  In  this  capacity, 
with  the  rank  of  Major,  he  made  himself  useful  both  in  and  out 
of  the  State.  The  details  of  his  service  are  meagre,  but  it  was 
probably  of  the  same  character  as  that  of  Commissary  Flint,  of 
the  class  of  1773.  One  item  is  preserved  in  the  following  note  he 
received  from  Gen.  Greene,  then  Quartermaster-General  of  Wash 
ington's  Army,  dated  Camp  near  Fredericksburg,  N.  Y.,  November 
9,  1778:  "SiR — With  this  you  will  receive  an  appointment  as 
deputy  quartermaster-general  for  the  special  purpose  of  providing 
for  and  conducting  the  British  prisoners,  lately  commanded  by 
General  Burgoyne,  and  the  guards  attending  them,  from  New 
England  to  Virginia." 

Inheriting  his  father's  talents  and  spirit,  Major  Davenport 
afterwards  became  prominent  in  civil  life,  serving  in  both  houses 
of  the  Connecticut  Legislature,  acting  as  Judge  of  Common  Pleas, 
and  elected  to  the  House  of  Representatives  in  1796.  He  was 


33 2          Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

also  a  member  of  the  Commission  in  1789  to  make  a  treaty  with 
the  Wyandot  and  other  Indians  for  the  purchase  of  the  Connecticut 
Western  Reserve  Dr.  Dwight  says  of  him  :  "  His  life  was  without 
a  stain  ;  and  in  his  integrity,  candor,  and  justice  his  countrymen 
placed  an  absolute  reliance.  With  these  qualifications,  it  will  not 
be  a  matter  of  wonder  that  at  an  early  period  of  his  life  he  was 
employed  by  the  public  in  an  almost  continued  succession  of 
public  business  :  or  that  he  executed  every  commission  of  this 
nature  honorably  to  himself  and  usefully  to  his  country."  He 
died  August  3,  1797.  Member  Connecticut  Cincinnati  Society. 

JOHN  DE  PEYSTER  Douw, 

Commissary,  New  York. 

A  native  of  Albany,  N.  Y.,  where  he  was  born  January  25,  1756. 
In  his  obituary  notice  he  is  mentioned  as  having  been  "  an  officer 
in  the  Commissary  Department  of  the  Army  in  the  campaign  of 
1777  against  Burgoyne."  He  used  to  speak,  in  his  lifetime,  of 
the  skirmish  of  Moses  Creek,  near  Saratoga,  in  which  he  took 
part.  Mr.  Duow  lived  to  an  advanced  age,  filled  offices  of  trust, 
and  was  universally  respected.  His  death  occurred  at  Albany, 
February  22,  1835. 

WILLIAM  EDMOND, 

Volunteer. 

Afterwards  Judge  Edmond,  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Connecti 
cut  ;  born  in  Woodbury,  now  South  Britain,  September  28,  1755. 
His  only  military  service  was  rendered  incidentally,  but  with 
spirit,  on  the  occasion  of  Tryon's  raid  to  Danbury,  in  the  spring 
of  1777.  He  appears  to  have  been  at  home  at  the  time.  Hearing 
of  the  enemy's  approach,  he  hurried  forward  and  joined  in  the 
running  fight  of  April  27th,  during  which  he  fell  severely  wounded. 
Defending  himself  bravely,  he  escaped  capture,  but  was  obliged 
to  remain  helpless  in  the  field  all  the  following  night.  Respecting 
the  wound,  from  which  he  suffered  until  1781,  he  says  in  his  jour 
nal  :  "  The  thigh  bone  near  the  knee-joint  was  entirely  broken  off 
in  two  places  about  three  inches  apart,  the  intermediate  bone 
divided  or  split  lengthwise  in  three  pieces.  Three  pieces  were 
extracted,  together  with  about  one  third  of  an  ounce  ball,  which 


Roll  of  Honor.  333 

was  wedged  between  them.     These  pieces  the  doctor  retained  as 
a  trophy  of  his  surgical  skill." 

Studying  law,  Edmond  settled  in  Newtown,  Conn.,  and  opened 
an  office  in  the  house  of  Gen.  John  Chandler,  whose  daughter 
Elizabeth  he  afterwards  married.  In  1797  he  was  elected  Mem 
ber  of  Congress,  serving  two  terms,  and  then  appointed  Justice  of 
the  Supreme  Court  of  the  State,  which  position  he  retained  until 
1819.  He  died  at  Newtown,  August  i,  1838.  A  full  and  appreci 
ative  sketch  of  Judge  Edmond  may  be  found  in  Cothren's  "  An 
cient  Woodbury,"  Vol.  I.,  p.  434,  from  the  pen  of  the  late  Gov. 
Henry  Button,  of  New  Haven  (Y.  C,  1818). 

SAMUEL  HOPKINS, 

Vohmteer  Surgeon,  Naval  Service. 

A  native  of  Hadley,  Mass.;  born  October  31,  1756.  He  settled 
as  a  physician  at  Newbury,  Vt,  but  in  1782,  as  we  have  the  record, 
he  sailed  as  Surgeon  of  a  "  Letter  of  Marque  "  bound  to  the  West 
Indies  and  Holland.  While  at  Martinique  he  died  of  yellow 
fever  July  u,  1782.  His  service  was  incidental,  as  he  seems  to 
have  intended  to  leave  the  vessel  on  its  arrival  in  Holland  and 
continue  his  medical  studies  abroad. 

SOLOMON  PINTO, 

Ensign,  Continental  Army. 

Born  at  New  Haven,  and  one  of  three  brothers,  Abraham, 
Solomon,  and  William,  who  entered  Yale.  Abraham  did  not 
graduate,  possibly  because  he  was  wounded  at  the  time  New 
Haven  was  invaded  by  Tryon.  Solomon  with  the  others  turned 
out  as  a  volunteer  on  the  occasion,  and  a  family  tradition  is  to  the 
effect  that  he  was  taken  prisoner  and  sent  to  England.  However 
this  may  be,  he  was  at  New  Haven  in  the  following  year,  when  he 
joined  Washington's  army. 

According  to  the  Cincinnati  records,  his  service  began 
March  18,  1780,  as  Ensign  in  the  Seventh  Connecticut  Line,  Col. 
Heman  Swift.  He  seems,  however,  not  to  have  been  formally 
assigned  to  duty  by  division  orders  until  October  i7th,  following. 
(See  sketch  of  Eb.  Daggett,  class  of  1778.)  The  army  was  then 
in  the  Highlands.  A  year  later  young  Pinto  was  detached  to  take 
part  in  Tallmadge's  expedition  against  Fort  Slongo,  L.  I.,  which 


00' 


Yale  in  the  Revolution. 


was  skilfully  surprised  and  carried  on  October  10,  1781.  He  re 
tired  from  the  service  at  the  general  disbandment  in  June,  1783. 
He  died  in  1824.  Member  Connecticut  Cincinnati  Society. 


WILLIAM  PINTO, 

Volunteer. 

Native  of  New  Haven,  and  brother  of  preceding.  At  the  time 
of  Tryon's  invasion  of  New  Haven,  July  5,  1779,  young  Pinto 
served  with  his  brothers  as  a  volunteer.  When  his  brother 
Abraham  was  wounded,  as  stated  above,  he  took  him  on  his  horse 
and  carried  him  out  of  danger.  Later  in  the  war  he  was  on  duty 
at  Fort  Trumbull,  New  London  Harbor,  and  upon  the  landing  of 
Arnold's  expedition  on  the  morning  of  September  6,  1781,  was 
despatched  with  the  news  to  Gov.  Trumbull.  In  after  life  he 
became  an  extensive  West  India  merchant,  and  lived  to  an  ad 
vanced  age.  His  death  occurred  at  New  Orleans  in  1847. 

CHARLES  SELDEN, 

Adjutant,  Continental  Army. 

Fourth  son  of  Col.  Samuel  Selden,  of  Hadlyme,  Conn.,  who 
died  a  prisoner  of  war  in  New  York  in  October,  1776.  His  de 
scent  from  Thomas  Selden,  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  Hartford,  is 
noticed  in  the  sketch  of  his  cousin,  Capt.  Ezra  Selden,  class  of 

1773- 

Charles  Selden  was  born  at  Hadlyme,  November  23,  1755. 
With  his  classmates,  Barker  and  Cogswell,  he  joined  Col.  Henry 
Jackson's  "additional"  Continental  Regiment,  which  subsequently 
became  the  Sixteenth,  and  again,  by  consolidation,  the  Ninth, 
Sixth,  and  Fourth  of  the  Massachusetts  Line.  It  was  recruited 
mainly  in  Boston  and  marched  to  the  field  in  the  latter  part  of 
September,  1777.  Selden  was  commissioned  Second  Lieutenant, 
to  rank  from  July  ist  of  that  year.  The  regiment  joined  Wash 
ington's  army,  then  in  Pennsylvania,  and  during  the  following 
winter  and  spring  it  was  encamped  at  Valley  Forge  and  vicinity. 
Upon  the  abandonment  of  Philadelphia  by  the  enemy  in  June, 
1778,  the  regiment  was  ordered  forward  to  guard  the  city,  but  in 


Roll  of  Honor.  335 

a  few  days  joined  the  army,  which  had  moved  out  from  Valley 
Forge,  and  took  an  active  part  in  the  battle  of  Monmouth  on  the 
28th.  It  was  closely  engaged,  as  appears  from  the  evidence  at 
Lee's  trial,  and  no  doubt  Selden  was  with  it  at  the  time,  as  we 
find  him  on  the  march  soon  after  to  Rhode  Island,  where  he  was 
again  in  the  thick  of  battle  on  August  29th,  under  Sullivan  and 
Lafayette.  Remaining  in  Rhode  Island  for  about  a  year,  the 
regiment,  in  August,  1779,  hurried  to  the  relief  of  the  ill-fated 
Penobscot  expedition,  but,  returning,  encamped  for  a  short  time 
on  Castle  Island,  Boston  harbor,  and  then  joined  Washington's 
army  in  New  Jersey.  During  the  winter  of  1779-80  it  encamped 
at  the  Morristown  huts.  Meantime  Selden  was  promoted  First 
Lieutenant,  March  15,  1779,  an^  from  December  of  that  year 
until  September,  1780,  was  Acting- Adjutant  of  the  regiment.  In 
June,  1780,  he  engaged  in  the  battle  of  Springfield,  N.  J.,  and 
thereafter  served  to  the  close  of  the  war  with  the  main  army  in 
the  Highlands.  On  May  31,  1782,  while  encamped  at  the  "  New 
Boston  "  huts,  near  West  Point,  he  received  further  promotion,  as 
appears  from  the  following  note  of  that  date  : 

"  SIR  : — I  request  that  Lt.  Chas.  Selden,  of  the  gth  Mass.  Regiment,  maybe 
appointed  (in  orders  this  day)  Adjutant  of  said  Regt.  vice  Capt.-Lt.  Clap  pro 
moted,  to  be  obeyed  and  respected  accordingly. 

"  I  am,  etc., 

"  HENRY  JACKSON, 
"  To  Gen.  HEATH.  Col.  gth  Massachusetts." 

During  1782-83  Jackson's  regiment  was  encamped  at  Ver- 
planck's  Point,  Newburgh,  West  Point,  and  other  places  on  the 
Hudson.  When  the  Massachusetts  Line  was  finally  reduced  to 
four  regiments  in  the  summer  of  1783,  the  Ninth  became  the 
Fourth,  and  on  June  i6th  Selden  was  reappointed  Adjutant. 
With  this  he  remained  until  the  close  of  the  year.  The  Fourth 
Regiment  formed  part  of  the  force  that  occupied  New  York  City 
upon  its  evacuation  by  the  enemy,  but  Selden's  order-book  indi 
cates  that  he  had  lately  received  a  furlough  and  was  absent.  His 
long  and  active  services,  however,  were  not  at  an  end,  for  upon 
the  organization  of  a  new  regiment  to  serve  from  January  i  to 
July  i,  1784,  to  guard  West  Point,  Selden  again  accepted  the 
Adjutancy,  and  remained  with  the  command  until  its  muster  out 
as  the  last  infantry  corps  of  the  old  Revolutionary  army. 


336         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

Soon  after  leaving  the  service,  or  in  the  fall  of  1784,  Selden 
went  into  business  with  his  classmate,  Cogswell,  at  Lansingburgh, 
above  Troy,  N.  Y.  (firm  name,  "  Cogswell  &  Selden  "),  and  be 
came  prosperous  and  influential.  In  1803  he  was  appointed  one 
of  the  Regents  of  the  University  of  New  York,  in  1804  went  to 
the  Assembly,  and  from  1808  to  1811  sat  in  the  State  Senate. 
He  died  at  Troy,  January  i,  1820.  Member  of  Massachusetts 
Cincinnati  Society. 


THOMAS  YOUNG  SEYMOUR, 

Captain,  Continental  Dragoons. 

Eldest  son  of  Col.  Thomas  Seymour,  class  of  1755  ;  born  at 
Hartford,  June  19,  1757.  He  was  commissioned,  January  10, 
1777,  Lieutenant  in  the  Second  Regiment,  Continental  Light 
Dragoons,  under  Col.  Sheldon,  and  soon  after  entering  the  field 
was  ordered  to  report  with  his  troop  of  horse  to  Gen.  Gates  in 
the  Northern  Department.  That  he  was  active  in  the  campaign 
against  Burgoyne  may  be  inferred  from  his  letter  on  page  79, 
written,  as  he  says,  "under  arms,"  on  the  lines  "advanced  of 
Stillwater."  From  papers  in  the  Pension  Bureau,  it  also  appears 
that  after  the  surrender  he  was  detailed  to  escort  Burgoyne  to 
Boston,  and  that  from  the  captive  General  he  received  a  saddle 
and  brace  of  pistols  as  a  token  of  regard.  Trumbull,  the  painter, 
introduces  Capt.  Seymour  on  horseback  in  his  picture  of  the  sur 
render.  There  is  also  a  miniature  of  him  in  the  Yale  Art  Gallery, 
Trumbull  collection.  He  remained  in  the  service  about  a  year 
longer,  resigning  November  23,  1778. 

After  the  war  Seymour   practised    law   at    Hartford,    became 


Roll  of  Honor.  337 

Major  of  the  Governor's  Foot  Guards  there,  and  filled  several 
offices  of  public  and  private  trust.  He  died  May  16,  1811. 
Member  Connecticut  Cincinnati  Society. 

' 
&+ 


NATHAN  HAYNES  WHITING, 

Adjutant,  Continental  Army. 

Son  of  Col.  Nathan  Whiting  (Y.  C.,  1743),  of  New  Haven,  and 
a  descendant,  upon  his  mother's  side,  of  John  Haynes,  first  Gov 
ernor  of  Connecticut;  born  at  New  Haven,  November  6,  1759. 
His  father  was  a  distinguished  officer  of  the  French  war,  present 
at  the  capture  of  Louisburg. 

Whiting  entered  the  service  early  in  1780,  by  joining  Col.  S.  B. 
Webb's  Continental  Regiment,  then  commanded  by  Lieut.-Col. 
Huntington  —  the  following  letter  best  explaining  his  first  connec 
tion  with  it  : 

"  CAMP  STEEN  RAPPIE,  yth  Sept.,  1780, 

'  '  5  miles  North  from  Hackinsack. 
"SiR: 

"  I  would  beg  Liberty  to  recommend  Mr.  Nathan  Haines  Whiting  for  an 
Ensigncy  in  the  gth  Connecticut  Regiment  —  he  is  a  young  Gentleman  of  family 
&  Education,  &  hath  serv'd  some  time  as  a  Volunteer  in  the  Regt.  His  En 
signcy  to  bear  date  from  the  gth  day  of  April  last.  The  small  number  of  offi 
cers  in  the  Regiment  makes  it  necessary  that  his  appointment  should  be  made 
as  soon  as  Possible,  as  your  Excellency  will  see  by  the  enclos'd  Return  of 
officers. 

"  I  am,  with  the  Greatest  Respect  and  Esteem, 

"  Your  Excellency's  Most  Ob*-  and  very  Humble  Servant, 

"EBEN.  HUNTINGTON, 
"  Lieut.-Col.  Comd*-  gth  Conn.  Regt. 
"  His  Excellency,  Gov.  TRUMBULL." 

Whiting  received  this  appointment,  and  on  February  10,  1781, 
was  again  promoted  as  Lieutenant  in  Webb's  regiment,  then  the 
Third  Connecticut.  In  June  following  he  joined  Col.  Scammeirs 
Light  Infantry  Corps,  with  which  he  marched  to  Virginia  and 
participated  in  the  capture  of  Yorktown.  While  there  he  acted 
as  Adjutant  of  Lieut.-Col.  Huntington's  battalion  of  Infantry. 


338         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

Returning  to  camp  in  the  Highlands,  he  continued  in  service  un 
til  January  i,  1783. 

Settling  in  West  Hartford,  Whiting  practised  law,  held  local 
office,  and  served  several  terms  in  the  Legislature.  He  died  Sep 
tember  16,  1801.  Member  Connecticut  Cincinnati  Society.1 


Class  of  1778. 

JOEL  BARLOW, 

Brigade  Chaplain,  Continental  Army. 

The  well-known  early  American  poet,  political  writer,  and  di 
plomatist  ;  born  at  Redding,  Connecticut,  March  24,  1754.  It  is 
said  that  during  his  college  course,  when  studies  were  temporarily 
suspended  in  the  fall  of  1776,  he  joined  Washington's  army  as  a 
volunteer,  and  took  part  in  the  battle  of  White  Plains,  October 
28th.  After  graduation  he  devoted  himself  to  literature  and 
poetic  composition,  and  gained  the  favorable  notice  of  such  wits 
and  writers  of  the  time  as  Dwight,  Humphreys,  Trumbull,  and 
others.  It  was  to  Humphreys  that  Barlow  was  partly  indebted 
for  his  appointment  as  Chaplain  in  the  army,  as  the  following  ex 
tract  of  a  letter  from  the  former  to  Gen.  Greene  goes  to  show  : 

"Hartford,  May  23,  1780.  ...  I  cannot  but  feel  myself  under  great 
obligations  to  you  for  the  generous  concern  you  are  pleased  to  take  in  Mr.  Bar 
low's  affairs.  There  is  one  way  in  which  I  think  he  might  be  serv'd  effectually, 
and  in  a  manner  reputable  to  himself  and  beneficial  to  the  Public.  I  mean  by 
having  him  appointed  a  Chaplain  to  some  vacant  Brigade  :  for  tho'  he  is  not  in 
orders  at  present,  he  would,  I  am  well  assured  from  his  character  and  some 
other  circumstances,  qualify  himself  for  the  office  immediately,  accept  the  ap 
pointment  with  cheerfulness,  perform  the  duty  with  dignity,  and  have  leisure 
enough  to  prosecute  his  favorite  pursuits.  The  Rhode  Island  and  4th  Mass.  Bri 
gades,  I  am  informed,  are  vacant." 

Chaplain  Abraham  Baldwin,  of  Parsons'  Connecticut  Brigade, 
also  interested  himself  in  the  matter,  and  the  result  was  the  ap 
pointment  of  Barlow  to  the  chaplaincy  of  the  Fourth  Massachu- 

1  Thomas  Ives,  of  this  class,  afterwards  a  man  of  some  note  in  Berkshire  Co., 
Mass.,  is  said  to  have  served  short  terms  during  the  Revolution. 

William  Little  was  possibly  the  Issuing  Commissary  of  his  name  from  Leba 
non,  Conn.  He  was  at  Valley  Forge  and  other  places. 

Samuel  Morey,  of  Norton,  Mass.,  is  stated  to  have  been  Surgeon  some  time 
during  the  war. 


Roll  of  Honor.  339 

setts  Brigade,  formerly  General  Learned's,  but  then  commanded 
by  Col.  John  Bailey.  Barlow  thus  succeeded  Chaplain  David 
Avery,  class  of  1769,  who  had  resigned  in  March  previous.  Dur 
ing  1781-82  the  brigade  was  the  Third  Massachusetts.  The 
young  poet  rapidly  fitted  himself  for  his  new  position  by  a  partial 
course  in  theology,  and  joined  the  army  on  September  2,  1780, 
near  Paramus,  N.  J.  Camp  life  and  associations  proved  congenial 
to  him,  especially  as  he  found  much  time  to  indulge  his  favorite 
pursuit.  He  preached  once  a  Sunday,  his  fourth  effort  being  what 
he  describes  as  "  a  flaming  political  sermon,  occasioned  by  the 
treachery  of  Arnold,"  and  which,  as  he  was  afterwards  informed, 
did  him  "  great  honor."  He  was  invited  at  an  early  day  to  dine 
with  General  Greene,  who  stood  high  with  the  army,  reputed,  as 
he  says,  "  the  second  character  on  the  continent."  Washington 
also  extended  him  a  similar  invitation  ;  and  after  the  occasion  he 
wrote  to  Miss  Ruth  Baldwin,  the  lady  to  whom  he  was  engaged  : 

1 '  How  do  you  think  I  felt  when  the  greatest  man  on  earth  placed  me  at  his 
right  hand,  with  Lord  Stirling  at  his  left,  at  table  ?  I  graced  the  table  with  a  good 
grace,  and  felt  perfectly  easy  and  happy.  There  were  many  gentlemen  there. 
You  must  allow  me  a  little  vanity  in  these  descriptions,  because  the  scenes  are 
new.  Since  the  preaching  of  my  sermon  upon  the  treason  of  Arnold  and  the 
glory  of  America,  several  gentlemen  who  did  not  hear  it,  and  some  who  did, 
have  been  to  read  it.  They  talk  of  printing  it.  Colonel  Humphreys  has  made 
me  promise  to  loan  him  the  plan  and  the  first  book  of  my  poems  to  read  at 
head-quarters.  He  and  many  other  friends  pay  me  particular  attention." 

Barlow  remained  in  the  army  to  the  close  of  the  war.  He 
thereafter  acquired  celebrity  at  home  as  the  author  of  the  "  Co- 
lumbiad,"  "  Hasty  Pudding,"  and  other  effusions.  Still  later  he 
went  abroad,  figured  during  the  French  Revolution,  and  in  1811 
was  appointed  Minister  to  France  by  Madison,  but  did  not  live 
to  render  the  diplomatic  service  to  the  United  States  he  hoped  to. 
While  on  a  journey  to  Wilna  to  meet  Napoleon,  he  died  somewhat 
suddenly  at  Zarnowicke,  near  Cracow,  Poland,  December  24, 1812.' 
Member  Massachusetts  Cincinnati  Society. 


1  In  the  recently  published  "  Life  and  letters  of  Joel  Barlow,"  by  Mr.  Chas. 
Burr  Todd,  will  be  found  a  number  of  interesting  and  valuable  letters  written 
both  to  and  by  him  during  the  Revolution. 


340         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

EBENEZER  DAGGETT, 

Ensign,  Continental  Army. 

Youngest  son  of  President  Daggett,  and  brother  of  Lieut. 
Henry  Daggett,  class  of  1775.  He  was  appointed,  July  26,  1780, 
Ensign  in  the  Seventh  Connecticut  Line,  and  formally  assigned  to 
duty  in  division  orders  as  follows:  "  Totoway,  Oct.  17,  1780. 
Messrs.  Ebenezer  Dagget  and  Solomon  Pinto  (Y.  C.,  1777),  having 
been  appointed  Ensigns  in  the  7th  Regt.  by  the  Governor  and 
Council  of  the  State  of  Connecticut,  they  are  to  do  duty  and  to 
be  obey'd  and  respected  accordingly."  Early  in  February,  1781, 
he  was  detached  to  serve  in  Colonel  Gimat's  Light  Infantry  Bat 
talion,  and  under  Lafayette  experienced  the  hardships  and  suc 
cesses  of  his  Virginia  campaign  against  Cornwallis.  He  was 
doubtless  in  the  affair  of  Green  Spring  in  July  of  that  year,  and 
through  all  the  operations  of  the  siege  and  victory  of  Yorktown. 
Unhappily  he  was  attacked  by  the  small-pox,  and  died  at  the 
Head  of  Elk,  Maryland,  on  the  way  home,  November  20,  1781. 


FREDERICK  WILLIAM  HOTCHKISS, 

Volunteer. 

Son  of  John  Hotchkiss,  class  of  1748,  who  was  killed  during 
Tryon's  New  Haven  raid.  The  college  record  states  that  he 
acted  as  aid  to  the  officer  commanding  the  New  Haven  militia 
(probably  Col.  Sabin)  on  the  same  occasion,  July  5,  1779.  Two 
of  his  uncles,  as  well  as  his  father,  were  killed  on  that  day.  Mr. 
Hotchkiss  was  afterwards  long  pastor  at  Saybrook,  Conn.  He 
died  March  31,  1844. 

NATHAN  LEAVENWORTH, 

Surgeon  s  Mate,  Continental  Army. 

Youngest  of  the  Leavenworth  brothers  who  entered  the  Revo 
lutionary  service  (see  Jesse  Leavenworth,  class  of  1759)  ;  born  at 
Waterbury,  Conn.,  December  n,  1761.  Studying  medicine  after 
graduation,  he  joined  the  Eighth  Massachusetts  Continental  Regi 
ment,  Col.  M.  Jackson,  as  Surgeon's  Mate,  with  commission  dated 
February  i,  1780.  He  retained  this  position  until  the  last  of  the 
army  was  disbanded,  in  December,  1783,  and  was  then  reappointed 


Roll  of  Honor.  341 

in  the  new  American  Regiment,  which  continued  in  service  at 
West  Point  until  July,  1784.  His  regiment  belonged  to  Washing 
ton's  main  army  on  the  Hudson.  In  the  fall  of  1784  he  went  to 
the  Cheraw  District,  S.  C.,  but  returned  to  Waterbury  in  1793, 
and  died  there  January  9,  1799.  Member  Massachusetts  Cincin 
nati  Society. 


NOAH  WEBSTER, 

Volunteer. 

Young  Webster,  the  future  lexicographer,  was  one  of  the  many 
volunteers  who  fell  into  line  with  the  Connecticut  militia  ordered, 
in  August  and  September,  1777,  to  reinforce  Putnam  on  the 
Hudson  or  Gates  at  Saratoga  during  the  Burgoyne  campaign. 
His  father  and  two  brothers  were  in  the  service  at  the  time.  The 
regiment  Webster  marched  with  joined  Putnam  above  Peekskill, 
and  was  moving  northward  with  his  force  when  the  news  of  Bur- 
goyne's  surrender  reached  them.  The  late  Prof.  Chauncey  S. 
Goodrich  mentions  this  fact  in  his  sketch  of  Webster  in  Vol.  II.  of 
the  American  Literary  Magazine,  and  adds  :  "  They  were  met  by 
a  courier  waving  his  sword  in  triumph  and  crying  out  as  he  passed, 
1  Burgoyne  is  taken  !  Burgoyne  is  taken  !  '  It  was  perhaps  the 
most  eventful  crisis  of  the  war.  An  army  of  British  regulars  had 
for  the  first  time  surrendered  to  a  body  of  undisciplined  Conti 
nental  troops,  and  well  might  every  American  who  had  shared  in 
the  conflict,  or  who  was  hastening  to  meet  its  foe,  exult  in  such  a 
victory.  Mr.  Webster,  even  in  old  age,  could  never  speak  of  it, 
or  of  his  feelings  as  the  shout  of  the  courier  rang  through  the 
ranks  of  the  regiment,  without  a  strength  of  emotion  which  was 
often  expressed  by  tears."  Webster's  own  reference  to  this  ser 
vice  appears  on  p.  77,  and  on  p.  13  may  be  found  an  interesting 
extract  from  one  of  his  early  addresses,  describing  Washington's 
first  visit  to  Yale  and  his  reception  by  the  students.  Born  at 
Hartford,  October  16,  1758  ;  died  at  New  Haven,  May  28,  1843. 


342          Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

OLIVER  WOLCOTT,  JR., 


Volunteer. 


Afterwards  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  under  Washington  and 
Governor  of  Connecticut.  Son  of  General  and  Governor  Oliver 
Wolcott,  class  of  1747  ;  born  at  Litchfield,  January  n,  1760- 
Like  young  Edmond  of  the  previous  class,  he  turned  out  as  a 
volunteer  on  the  occasion  of  Tryon's  Danbury  raid  in  April, 
1777,  and  took  part  in  the  movements  with  the  militia.  In  the 
summer  of  1779  he  acted  as  Aide-de-Camp  to  his  father,  who  then 
commanded  on  the  western  border  of  the  State,  and  at  a  later 
period  was  appointed  a  State  Commissary.  On  July  20,  1779, 
Gen.  Parsons  invited  him  to  join  the  Continental  army,  as  appears 
from  the  following  note  of  that  date  to  Gen.  Wolcott  :  "  In 
arranging  our  Line,  a  number  of  Ensigns  are  vacant.  If  your  Son 
is  willing  to  accept  one  of  these  vacancies,  I  shall  be  happy  in 
having  it  in  my  power  to  gratify  the  inclination  of  the  Son  of  so 
worthy  a  father.  I  am  determined  to  have  these  offices  filled  by 
young  Gentlemen  of  Spirit  and  Learning,  to  make  the  army  re 
spectable,  or  leave  them  vacant  "  (Wolcott  "  Memorial ").  The 
father  replied  that  he  preferred  to  have  his  son  continue  his  law 
studies  which  he  had  lately  taken  up.  After  his  civil  career  he 
resided  in  New  York,  where  he  died  June  i,  1833.' 

Class  of  1 779. 

JEREMIAH  GATES  BRAINARD, 

Ensign,  Continental  Army. 

Afterwards  Judge  Brainard,  of  New  London,  Conn.  He  be 
longed  to  the  family  of  Brainards  (or  Brainerds)  identified  with 
the  settlement  of  East  Haddam,  where  he  was  born  July  28,  1759. 
He  was  appointed,  July  26,  1780,  Ensign  in  the  Seventh  Regi 
ment  Connecticut  Line,  Col.  Heman  Swift,  but  did  not  remain 

1  In  his  pamphlet  on  Pittsfield,  Mass.,  Rev.  Dr.  Field  states  that  Thomas 
Gold,  of  this  class,  was  for  several  months  Secretary  to  Gen.  Putnam  in  1777. 
The  General  then  commanded  on  the  east  side  of  the  Hudson. 

Edmund  Foster,  of  the  same  class,  native  of  Reading,  Mass.,  is  said  to  have 
engaged  in  the  battle  of  Lexington,  April  19,  1775.  He  was  then  a  Sopho 
more,  and  may  have  been  at  home  at  the  time.  Afterwards  pastor  at  Littleton, 
Mass. 


Roll  of  Honor.  343 

in  service  beyond  the  month  of  April,  1781.  Rev.  Dr.  Field 
states  that  he  was  employed  on  detached  duty  "  principally  in  at 
tending  to  the  accounts  of  the  Connecticut  Line  at  the  War 
Office  in  Philadelphia."  Returning  home,  Brainard  studied  law 
with  Col.  Dyar  Throop,  class  of  1759,  at  East  Haddam,  and  then 
settled  at  New  London.  He  was  Representative,  Mayor  of  the 
city,  and  from  1806  to  1829  Judge  of  the  Superior  Court.  He 
died  January  7,  1830. 

ELIZUR  GOODRICH, 

Volunteer. 

Afterwards  member  of  Congress,  Judge,  and  Mayor  of  New 
Haven  ;  son  of  Rev.  Dr.  E.  Goodrich,  class  of  1752,  born  at 
Durham,  Conn.,  March  24,  1761.  He  took  an  active  part  against 
the  enemy  when  they  invaded  New  Haven  on  July  5,  1779,  turn 
ing  out  with  his  fellow  students  and  fighting  until  he  was  wounded. 
After  the  British  occupied  the  town,  a  soldier  entered  the  house 
where  Goodrich  had  retired  to  have  his  wound  dressed  and  be 
gan  to  abuse  him.  Notwithstanding  his  condition,  young  Good 
rich  seized  the  soldier,  drove  him  to  the  wall,  and  handled  him  with 
such  energy  and  hostile  intent  that  the  fellow  begged  for  mercy 
and  went  off.  Goodrich  settled  at  New  Haven  as  a  lawyer,  be 
came  Judge  of  the  County  Court,  served  as  a  Representative  to 
Congress  from  1799  to  1801,  and  was  Mayor  from  1803  to  1822. 
His  account  of  Tryon's  invasion  and  Pres.  Daggett's  capture  ap 
pears  in  the  text  with  events  of  1779-80.  He  was  the  father  of 
the  late  Prof.  Chauncey  A.  Goodrich  of  Yale  College. 

WILLIAM  SEYMOUR, 

Volunteer. 

Younger  brother  of  Capt.  Thomas  Y.  Seymour,  class  of  1777  ; 
born  at  Hartford,  December  28,  1758.  It  appears  that  he  was 
with  his  uncle,  Col.  Wm.  Ledyard,  at  the  time  Arnold  attacked 
New  London  in  September,  1781,  and  was  one  of  the  sufferers  of 
the  Fort  Griswold  "  massacre  "  on  the  Groton  side.  While  assist 
ing  in  the  defence  of  the  fort  he  fell  terribly  wounded.  His  case 
was  reported  upon  by  a  Legislative  Pension  Committee  in  Janu 
ary,  1783,  as  follows  :  "William  Seymour,  of  Hartford,  a  volun- 


344         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

teer  in  the  fort,  was  wounded  by  a  musket  ball  which  entered  into 
and  passed  through  the  joint  of  the  knee,  fracturing  and  breaking 
the  bones  in  such  manner  as  that  the  greatest  part  of  the  sub 
stance  of  the  knee  joint  separated  and  issued  out.  In  this  condi 
tion  he,  for  about  three  weeks,  suffered  the  most  severe  pain  and 
distress.  When  no  other  means  could  be  thought  of  to  save  his 
life,  amputation  was  performed  and  his  limb  taken  off  about  half 
way  between  the  knee  and  body,  and  after  a  long,  languishing 
confinement  he  is  restored  to  a  considerable  degree  of  health, 
though  wholly  disabled  from  performing  any  considerable  exer 
cises  or  following  any  considerable  business."  (Allyn's  Battle  of 
Groton  Heights.)  He  is  also  said  to  have  received  thirteen 
bayonet  wounds  after  being  shot  as  described.  Although  crippled 
for  life,  Seymour  eventually  was  able  to  engage  in  business  in 
Hartford,  and  lived  to  an  advanced  age.  He  died,  unmarried,  at 
Bloomfield,  Conn.,  December  20,  1843. 1 

Class  of  1780. 

JOHN  BARNETT, 

Brigade  Chaplain,  Continental  Army. 

Rev.  Mr.  Barnett  was  Chaplain  in  the  Massachusetts  Line  for 
about  eight  months  during  the  year  1782.  He  evidently  suc 
ceeded  Rev.  Enos  Hitchcock,  graduate  of  Harvard,  in  the  chap 
laincy  of  the  Second  Brigade  of  that  Line,  so  that  all  the 
Massachusetts  chaplains  were  at  that  time  graduates  of  the  col 
lege — the  other  two  being  Messrs.  Barlow  and  Lockwood.  Mr. 
Barnett  is  said  to  have  injured  his  voice  permanently  by  open-air 
preaching  in  camp,  and  thereafter  was  not  a  settled  pastor  for  any 
length  of  time.  From  1790  to  1795  he  was  at  Middlebury,  Vt. 
He  was  a  native  of  Windsor,  Conn.;  died  at  Durham,  N.  Y., 
December  5,  1837,  aged  eighty-four,  being  at  the  time  a  Revo 
lutionary  pensioner  under  the  act  of  1818. 

1  William  Baldwin,  of  this  class,  was  recommended  in  July,  1780,  by  Col. 
Meigs,  of  the  Sixth  Connecticut,  for  a  position  as  Ensign  in  his  regiment,  but 
he  does  not  appear  to  have  accepted,  no  such  name  being  on  the  rolls.  Meigs 
says  :  "  Mr.  Baldwin  is  a  young  gentleman  belonging  to  Branford,  lately  gradu 
ated  from  Yale  College." 


Roll  of  Honor.  345 

WILLIAM  FOWLER, 

Ensign,  Continental  Army. 

A  native  of  East  Haddam,  Conn.  ;  born  September  27,  1761  ; 
the  youngest  son  of  Rev.  Joseph  Fowler,  of  the  class  of  1743, 
Congregational  pastor  at  that  place.  This  branch  of  Fowlers 
came  of  Windham  County  ancestry. 

The  Ensign's  career  was  brief — a  year's  service.  He  received 
his  appointment  February  27,  1781,  and  was  assigned  to  the  Fifth 
Regiment,  Connecticut  Line,  under  Colonel  Sherman.  The  regi 
ment  took  part  in  Washington's  feint  upon  New  York  in  the  sum 
mer  of  that  year,  remained  on  the  Hudson  under  Gen.  Heath 
during  the  Yorktown  campaign,  and  wintered  at  camp  "  Connecti 
cut  Village,"  above  Peekskill.  There  young  Fowler  was  taken 
sick,  and  died  on  or  about  February  28,  1782.  The  Hartford 
Courant  of  March  5th  following  says  of  him  :  "  Died  of  the  small 
pox,  at  camp,  last  week,  Ensign  William  Fowler,  of  East  Had 
dam.  He  was  a  gentleman  of  a  liberal  education,  and  much 
esteemed  by  all  his  acquaintance." 

^ENEAS  MUNSON, 

Siirgeoris  Mate,  Continental  Army. 

Dr.  Munson  was  the  son  of  Dr.  ^Eneas  Munson,  of  the  class  of 
1753,  who  for  many  years  in  the  last  and  present  centuries  was  a 
practising  physician  in  New  Haven,  and  President  of  the  Medical 
Society  of  Connecticut  ;  born  September  n,  1763.  Very  soon 
after  graduation,  or  September  i,  1780,  Munson  was  commissioned 
Surgeon's  Mate  in  Col.  Swift's  Seventh  Connecticut  Continental 
Line.  During  the  winter  of  1780-81  his  regiment  was  hutted  with 
the  Connecticut  Division  on  the  Hudson,  opposite  West  Point. 
In  June  following  he  was  detached  to  assist  Surgeon  Thacher,  of 
the  Massachusetts  Line,  in  Col.  Scammell's  Light  Infantry  corps, 
which,  after  engaging  in  one  or  two  sharp  skirmishes  in  West- 
chester  County,  marched  in  August  with  the  army  to  Yorktown, 
Va.  There  it  took  a  leading  part  in  the  siege,  and  in  after  life  Dr. 
Munson  had  many  incidents  to  tell  of  the  operations  and  surren 
der.  Returning  north  he  rejoined  his  regiment,  which  in  1781-82 
was  the  Fourth  Connecticut,  under  Col.  Butler,  with  Dr.  Timothy 


346         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

Hosmer   as   Chief   Surgeon.     Remaining   in   the   Highlands,  he 
served  until  the  disbandment  in  June,  1783. 

After  the  war  Dr.  Munson  practised  medicine  at  New  Haven 
nearly  as  long  as  his  father,  and  is  remembered  by  the  older  resi 
dents  of  the  place.  He  died  August  22,  1852.  Member  Con 
necticut  Cincinnati  Society. 


JABEZ   HUNTINGTON  TOMLINSON, 

Ensign,  Continental  Army. 

A  native  of  Stratford,  Conn.  ;  born  about  1760.  During  his 
Junior  year  he  met  with  an  experience  which  is  said  to  have  de 
cided  him  to  enter  the  service.  The  New  Haven  Journal  of 
June  9,  1779,  reports  it  as  follows  : 

"One  night  last  week  a  party  from  L.  I.  landed  at  Old  Mill  in  Stratford, 
and  plundered  the  house  of  Mr.  Joseph  Lewis  of  a  considerable  sum  of  money, 
all  the  clothing,  linen,  etc.,  and  went  off  with  their  booty,  taking  with  them  a 
young  man  named  Tomlinson,  a  member  of  Yale  College,  who  was  there  on  a 
visit." 

Tomlinson,  who  lived  to  an  advanced  age,  used  to  recall  this 
incident  to  residents  of  Stratford  still  living.  The  capture  oc 
curred  on  the  night  of  May  3ist,  when  the  party  in  question  took 
him  to  a  British  man-of-war  in  the  Sound,  whose  captain  treated 
him  civilly,  but  who  obliged  him  to  proceed  to  New  York  to 
secure  his  release  or  exchange.  It  was  several  weeks  before  he 
was  exchanged,  and  upon  his  return  he  resolved  to  enter  the 
army.  He  was  appointed  Ensign  of  Col.  S.  B.  Webb's  Continen 
tal  Regiment  April  5,  1780,  and  was  one  of  the  officers  on  guard 
at  Major  Andre's  quarters  during  his  captivity  and  trial.  It  was 
to  Tomlinson  that  the  unfortunate  Major  presented  the  pen-and- 
ink  sketch  of  himself  now  preserved  in  the  library  of  Yale  Col 
lege.  The  Ensign  remained  in  service  until  May  i,  1781,  when 
he  resigned  and  returned  to  Stratford.  He  died  there,  a  respected 
citizen,  January  14,  1849.' 

1  Erastus  Pixley,  of  this  class,  resident  of  Great  Barrington,  Mass.,  is  stated 
to  have  been  one  of  the  students  who  volunteered  to  march  against  the  enemy 
on  July  5,  1779,  when  New  Haven  was  invaded.  He  died  May  31,  1795. 


Roll  of  Honor.  347 

Class  of  ij%i. 

SIMEON  BALDWIN, 

Volunteer. 

Afterwards  Judge  Baldwin  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Connecti 
cut  ;  also  Mayor  of  New  Haven  in  1826.  He  was  a  brother  of 
Chaplain  Ebenezer  Baldwin,  class  of  1763,  and  was  born  at  Nor 
wich,  December  14,  1761.  At  the  time  of  Tryon's  invasion  of 
New  Haven,  July  5,  1779,  he  turned  out  as  a  volunteer  with  other 
students  and  took  part  in  the  day's  skirmishing,  especially  near 
"  Neck  Bridge,"  over  Mill  River.  After  the  war  he  settled  as  a 
lawyer  at  New  Haven  and  filled  important  offices.  From  1803 
he  served  one  term  as  a  Representative  in  Congress,  and  subse 
quently  the  positions  mentioned  above.  His  death  occurred  May 
26,  1851. 

The  following  graduates  rendered  service  before  entering  college  : 

Class  of  1781. 


SAMUEL  HINCKLEY, 

Massachusetts  Service. 

He  was  a  native  of  North  Brookfield,  Mass.;  born  Dec.  22, 
1757.  Entering  the  service  in  1776,  probably  with  a  Massachu 
setts  regiment,  he  took  part  in  the  battle  of  White  Plains,  Oct.  28th> 
of  that  year,  and  was  wounded.  He  was  a  grandson  of  Gov.  Thomas 
Hinckley,  of  Massachusetts.  For  forty-six  years  he  filled  the 
office  of  Register  and  Probate  Judge  ;  died  at  Northampton,  June 
15,  1840. 

Class  of  1782. 

PAYSON  WILLISTON, 

Volunteer. 

Son  of  Rev.  Noah  Williston,  class  of  1757.  He  took  part  in  the 
skirmishing  on  July  5,  1779,  when  New  Haven  was  invaded. 
Speaking  of  the  day's  experiences,  he  says,  in  Sprague's  "  Annals  ": 
"  It  was  my  lot  to  mingle  in  that  scene  as  a  member  of  the  Artillery 
Company  who  opposed  the  British  who  landed  on  the  West  side 


348         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

of  New  Haven  harbour  ;  and  I  distinctly  remember  the  Presi 
dent's  [Daggett]  coming  up  and  addressing  to  us  patriotic  and 
earnest  words,  bidding  us  go  on  and  fight,  &c.  ;  and  he  rushed 
along  himself,  and  very  soon  after  came  near  paying  for  his 
patriotism  with  his  life.  This  was  a  few  months  before  I  entered 
College."  Williston  studied  for  the  ministry,  and  was  for  many 
years  pastor  at  Easthamptom,  Mass.,  where  he  died  January  30, 
1856,  in  the  ninety-third  year  of  his  age. 

Class  0/1786. 

WILLIAM  STONE, 

Soldier,  Continental  Army. 

A  native  of  Guilford,  Conn.  He  served  three  years  in  the 
Continental  army,  having  enlisted  as  a  soldier  in  Capt.  Stephen 
Hall's  company,  of  Col.  Swift's  Seventh  Connecticut  Line,  June  8, 
1777.  With  this  regiment  he  engaged  at  the  battle  of  German- 
town,  October  4,  1777,  wintered  at  Valley  Forge,  and  was  present 
also  at  Monmouth,  June,  1778.  After  that  until  his  term  of  service 
expired,  June  8,  1780,  he  was  with  the  army  on  the  Hudson- 
He  appears  also  to  have  served  in  1776,  as  he  is  said  to  have 
taken  part  in  the  battle  of  White  Plains,  in  October  of  that  year. 
Entering  college  after  the  war,  he  graduated  in  1786,  studied  for 
the  ministry,  and  devoted  most  of  his  life  to  missionary  work  in 
New  York.  He  died  at  Sodus,  N.  Y.,  March  20,  1840,  aged 
eighty-three.1 

Class  0/1788. 


DANIEL  WALDO, 

Soldier,  Connecticut  Service. 

Rev.  Daniel  Waldo,  at  the  time  of  his  death  the  oldest  graduate 
of  the  college,  was  born  at  Windham,  Conn.,  September  10,  1762. 
In  1778,  before  entering  college,  he  was  drafted  for  a  month's 
service  at  New  London,  and  subsequently  enlisted  in  State  levies 
for  eight  months.  He  was  taken  prisoner  near  New  York  and 

1  Hon.  Stanley  Griswold,  of  this  class,  is  mentioned  as  having  been  a  lieu 
tenant  in  his  father's  company  before  he  entered  college. 


Roll  of  Honor.  349 

confined  in  the  Sugar  House,  where  he  suffered  greatly.  Studying 
for  the  ministry,  he  was  settled  at  West  Suffield  for  eighteen  years 
after  1792,  and  for  shorter  periods  elsewhere.  He  lived  to  an 
advanced  age.  A  noteworthy  event  of  his  life  was  his  appoint 
ment  as  Chaplain  of  Congress  in  1856,  and  again  in  1857,  when  he 
was  ninety-four  and  ninety-five  years  old.  "  His  faculties  were 
unimpaired  throughout  his  long  life,  and  his  last  sermon  was 
preached  after  he  entered  on  his  one  hundred  and  second  year." 
He  died  at  Syracuse,  N.  Y.,  July  30,  1864. 


SUMMARY. 

Total  number  of  graduates  included  in  "  Honor-Roll,"  with  biographical 

notices  ............  196 

Number  mentioned  incidentally  or  in  notes,  of  whose  record  no  details 
have  been  found,  but  who,  without  much  doubt,  rendered  service 
of  some  kind  ...........  38 

Total 234 

Addenda. 

Rev.  Benjamin  Pomeroy,  p.  182,  was  Chaplain  of  Col.  Wyllys'  Third  Con 
necticut  Line  from  January  i,  1777,  to  July  i,  1778. 

Capt.  Nathaniel  Webb,  p.  211,  states  in  a  memorial  that  he  served  through 
the  year  1776,  before  joining  the  Continental  Line. 

Joseph  B.  Wadsworth,  p.  250,  was  full  Surgeon  of  Col.  Sherburne's  "addi 
tional"  Continental  Regiment,  raised  partly  in  Connecticut,  from  Sept.  i,  1777, 
to  Jan.  i,  1781. 

Dr.  Isaac  Knight,  p.  252,  was  one  of  the  Guilford  volunteers  who  started 
towards  Boston  on  the  Lexington  alarm,  April  19,  1775. 

Rev.  Benjamin  Boardman,  p.  213,  appears  as  Chaplain  of  Capt.  Comfort 
Sage's  "  Troop  of  Horse  "  from  Middletown,  in  the  Lexington  alarm. 

Capt.  William  Coit,  p.  226,  was  Captain  of  one  of  the  New  London  compa 
nies  in  the  Lexington  alarm. 

Rev.  Elisha  Atkins,  class  of  1773,  is  stated  to  have  served  as  Chaplain  ;  pastor 
at  N.  Killingly. 

Rev.  Samuel  Austin,  class  of  1783,  is  mentioned  as  having  rendered  some 
service  during  the  Revolution. 

Commissions,  Dates,  etc. 

Giles  Russell,  pp.  201  and  202,  was  Lieutenant-Colonel  of  the  Fourth  Con 
necticut,  Col.  Durkee,  not  the  Eighth,  before  becoming  Colonel  of  the  latter. 


350         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 

The  commissions  of  Eben.  Huntington,  p.  308,  as  Lieutenant-Colonel  and 
of  John  P.  Wyllys,  p.  298,  as  Major,  were  finally  made  to  date  from  October 
10,  1778,  instead  of  1780. 

Discrepancies  will  doubtless  be  found  between  the  dates  of  a  few  of  the  ap 
pointments  and  commissions  given  in  the  biographical  sketches  and  the  dates  as 
given  in  some  official  rolls  and  papers.  In  certain  cases  the  dates  of  officers' 
commissions  were  changed,  and  in  one  case  we  have  three  dates  for  the  same 
commission.  This  was  due  to  conflicting  claims,  and  in  the  above  honor-roll 
the  last  or  most  authoritative  date  has  been  followed. 


INDEX. 


Abbott,   Henry  L.,  Gen.,    on   Bush- 

nell's  torpedo,  56,  307 
Abel,  Elijah,  Capt.,  39  ;  biog.,  223 
Adams,  Andrew,    Lieut.-Col.,    biog., 

224 
Alden,   Roger,  Aid-de-Camp,  66,  78, 

84,  90,  93  ;  biog.,  282 
Andre,    Maj.,    53,    54  ;    Tallmadge's 

letters  on,  125;  pen  and  ink  portrait 

at  Yale,  346 
Arnold,  Benedict,  mentioned,  29,  30, 

71,   79,    122,    123  ;    Tallmadge  on, 

125,  270 

Ashley,  John,  Judge,  mentioned,  212 
Ashley,  John,  Jr.,  Col.,  68  ;  biog.,  212 
Ashley,  Moses,  Maj.,  14,  39,  59,  66, 

77,  85,  144;  biog.,  250 
Atkins,  Elisha,  Rev.,  mentioned,  349 
Austin,  Samuel,  Rev.,  mentioned,  349 
Avery,  David,  Brigade  Chaplain,  14, 

39,  59,  68  ;  biog.,  257 


B 


Babcock,  Gamaliel,  mentioned,  300,  n. 
Babcock,  Henry,  Col.,  16,  32  ;  orders, 

33,  34;  biog.,  203 
Babcock,     James,     Lieut.-Col.,     16  ; 

biog.,  205 
Babcock,  Joshua,  Gen.,  5,  22  ;  biog., 

177 

Babcock,  Luke,  Rev,,  mentioned,  98 
Babcock,  Stephen,  Maj.,  biog.,  225 
Baldwin,  Abraham,  Brigade  Chaplain, 

7,  68  ;  biog.,  275 

Baldwin,  Ashbel,  mentioned,  326,  n. 
Baldwin,  Ebenezer,  Chaplain,  38,  62  ; 

biog.,  232 

Baldwin,  Isaac,  mentioned,  304,  n. 
Baldwin,  Simeon,  Hon.,  biog.,  347 
Baldwin,  William,  mentioned,  344,  n. 
Ballantine,  Ebenezer,  Surgeon's  Mate, 

biog.,  327 


Barber,      Francis,     Lieut.-Col.,     of 

Princeton  College,  137 
Barker,    John,     Lieut.,    67,    84,    93  ; 

biog.,  327 
Barker,   Samuel  Augustus  S.,  Capt., 

39,  48,  50,  66,  132  ;  biog.,  276 
Barlow,  Joel,   Brigade  Chaplain,  39, 

68  ;  biog.,  338 
Barnett,     John,     Brigade     Chaplain, 

biog.,  344 

Bartlett,  Nathaniel,  Rev.,  biog.,  199 
Beebe,  Lewis,  mentioned,  275,  n. 
Beers,  Isaac,  Washington  at  his  house, 

13 
Belden,   Ebenezer  Porter,  Capt.,   10, 

67,  73  ;  biog.,  305 
Belden,    Thomas,    Col.,     mentioned, 

203,  n.  ;  305 
Bellamy,    Jonathan,    Lieut.,   39,  62  ; 

biog.,  277 
Benedict,  Abner,  Chaplain,  38  ;  biog. , 

257. 

Benedict,  Amos,  biog.,  300 
Bird,  Jonathan,  Surgeon,  biog.,  252 
Bissell,  Hezekiah,  Capt.,  biog.,  228 
Boardman,    Benjamin,   Chaplain,   16, 

24  ;  biog.,  213  ;  349 
Bogue,  Aaron  Jordan,  Chaplain,  biog., 

300 

Bowen,  Jabez,  Col.,  69  ;  biog.,  210 
Bradley,  Philip  Burr,  Col.,  37,  38,  40, 

57,  65,  71,  74,  84  ;  biog.,  213 
Bradley,  Stephen  Row,  Capt.,  39,  70; 

biog.,  305 
Brainard,  Jeremiah  G.,  Ensign,  biog., 

342 
Brockway,    Thomas,    Chaplain,    38  ; 

biog.,  252 
Brooks,    Thomas,    Rev.,    mentioned, 

208,  n. 
Brown,  John,  Col.,  4,  26-28  ;  letter, 

29  ;  68,  80,  81,  123  ;  biog.,  268 
Brownson,    Nathan,    Surgeon,    biog., 

225 
Buckminster,  Joseph,  Rev.,  7,  268,  n. 


352         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 


Burghardt,  Hugo,  mentioned,  212,  n. 
Burgoyne,  Gen.,  campaign  of,  73,  77  ; 

graduates   present,    77,   78  ;   letters 

from  them,  78-82  ;  Capt.  Seymour 

and,  336 
Bushnell,  David,  Capt.,  10,  39,  55,  56, 

100,  136,  199  ;  biog.,  306 


Camp,  Abiathar,  denounced  in  class 

meeting,  II 
Champion,     Judah,     Chaplain,     38  ; 

biog.,  2OI 
Chandler,  John,  Col.,  37,  38,  48,  56, 

65,  74,  84,  in  ;  biog.,  218 
Chapman,    Jedidiah,    Chaplain,    38 ; 

biog.,  229 
Chastellux,   Marquis  de,  and   French 

officers  visited  by  Pres.  Stiles,  122, 

123  ;  on  Col.  Peck,  316 
Chester,  John,  Col.,  10,  15-17  ;  letter, 

18  ;  20-22  ;  letter,  31  ;  35,  37,  38, 

40,  45,  46,  49,  56,  59  ;  letter,  61  ; 

biog.,  247 
Chipman,   Nathaniel,   Lieut.,   u,  66, 

78,   84,   85;   letter,   86590;    biog., 

328 
Cleaveland,  Ebenezer,  Chaplain,  38  ; 

biog.,  196 
Cleaveland,  John,  Chaplain,  16,  38  ; 

biog.,  190 
Cleaveland,  Moses,  Capt.,  66,  78,  85  ; 

biog.,  328 

Clinton,  Sir  Henry,  Stony  Point  ope 
rations,   101-6  ;    and   Arnold,   125  ; 

attempted  capture  of,  127 
Cogswell,   Samuel,  Adj.,  67,   84,  90, 

93  J  biog.,  329 
Coit,  William,  Capt.,  16,  17,  32,  39; 

biog.,  226 ;  349 
Colt,    Peter,    Dep.    Com.    Gen.,   67; 

letters,  95-98  ;  biog.,  237 
Congress,  Continental,  votes  Wooster 

a   monument,    72,    180  ;   honorable 

mention    of    Tallmadge,    126  ;    of 

Hull,     131  ;    votes    Humphreys    a 

sword,  137 
Cooke,    Joseph   Platt,    Col.,   38,    71; 

biog.,  200 
Craft,    Ebenezer,    Capt.,    16 ;    biog., 

219 

Gumming,  John  N.,  Maj.,  of  Prince 
ton  College,  137 
Curtiss,  Eli,  Lieut.,  biog.,  331 
Cutler,    Manasseh,    Chaplain,    biog., 

241 


D 


Daggett,     Ebenezer,      Lieut.,     133  ; 

biog.,  340 
Daggett,    Henry,    Lieut.,   10  ;   biog., 

308  ;  Henry  D.  (Y.  C.,  1771),  275,  n. 
Daggett,     Naphtali,     Pres.,     7,     10, 

106-8  ;  biog.,  197 
Danielson,  Timothy,  Gen.,  14  ;  biog., 

209 

Davenport,    Abraham,    Judge,    men 
tioned,  262 
Davenport,   James,   Asst.  Com.,  67  ; 

biog.,  331 

Davenport,  John,  Maj.,  biog.,  262 
Deane,  Silas,  Hon.,  mentioned,  28 
Dickinson,  Israel,  Capt.,  4,  28,  68  ; 

biog.,  214 
Douw,  John  De  Peyster,  69;  biog., 

332 
Dwight,  Timothy,   Brigade  Chaplain, 

vi.,  7,  68;  address  on  Washington, 

156-60  ;  biog.,  257 


Edmond,  William,  69,  71  ;  biog.,  332 
Eells,  Samuel,  Capt.,  39  ;  biog.,  241 
Elderkin,  Bela,  Lieut.  Marines,  39  ; 

biog.,  251 

Elderkin,  John,  16,  39,  59,  66,  247,  n. 
Elderkin,  Vine,  Capt.,  39,  66  ;  biog., 

233 
Ely,  Samuel,   Volunteer,   68  ;    biog., 

239 

Everett,  Noble,  Rev.,  mentioned,  320, 
n. 


Fanning,  Edmund,  Loyalist,  98  ;  let 
ter,  109 

Fanning,  Phineas,  mentioned,  262,  n. 

Fitch,  Ebenezer,  mentioned,  8,  9, 
69,  n. 

Fitch,  Jonathan,  Col.,  95  ;  biog.,  197 

Fitch,  Thomas,  Col.,  notice  of,  194,  n. 

Flint,  Royal,  Asst.  Com.,  39,  59,  67, 
84  ;  letters,  114-16  ;  biog.,  283 

Foster,  Edmund,  mentioned,  342,  n. 

Fowler,  Samuel,  mentioned,  256,  n. 

Fowler,  William,  Ensign,  biog.,  345 


Gates,    Gen.,    mentioned,    24  ;     Bur- 
goyne's  Campaign,  77-82  ;    letters 


Index. 


353 


on,  86,  88  ;  Gen.  Scott  to,  82,  89  ; 
Col.  Colt  to,  96,  97  ;  310,  316 
Gay,  Fisher,  Col.,  16,  34  ;  letter,  35  ; 

37,  38  ;  40,  45,  62  ;  biog.,  219 
Gold,  Thomas,  mentioned,  342,  n. 
Goodell,  Jesse,  Rev.,  225,  n. 
Goodrich,    Elizur,    Hon.,   Volunteer, 

biog.,  343 

Graham,  Chauncey,  Rev.,  as  physi 
cian,  196,  n. 

Graham,  John  A.,  Dr.,  mentioned,  6, 
196,  n. 

Grant,  Roswell,  Capt.,  biog.,  242 

Gray,    Ebenezer,  Lieut.-Col.,   16-18, 

38,  48,   66,    67,    74 ;    letter,   127 ; 
biog.,  234 

Greene,  Gen.,  23  ;  on  Col.  Hitchcock, 
40,  63  ;  instructions  to  Gen.  Pater- 
son,  84  ;  battle  of  Springfield,  117- 
19  ;  Humphreys'  reference  to,  120, 
272  ;  Barlow's,  reference  to,  338, 

339 
Griswold,  Stanley,  Hon.,   mentioned, 

348,  n. 
Grosvenor, Thomas,  Lieut.-Col.  Com., 

16-18  ;  letter,  19  ;   37,  38,  46,   52, 

59,  66  ,  biog.,  242 


H 


Hale,  Nathan,  Capt.,  16,  37,  39,  40, 

48  ;    compared  with  Andre,  52-55, 

62  ;  biog.,  286 
Hall,    Lyman,    signer    of     Decl.,    6, 

41,  42 
Hamilton,  Alexander,  Lieut.-Col.,  of 

Columbia  College,  137 
Hamlin,   Jabez,  Capt.,    15,    39,    62  ; 

biog.,  260 
Harmar,  Gen.,  defeat  of,  and   Maj. 

Wyllys,  163-71 
Hart,  John,  mentioned,  275,  n.;  see 

Heart. 
Hart,  Josiah,  Surgeon,  16,  38  ;  biog., 

229 

Hart,  Levi,  Rev.,  mentioned,  225,  n. 
Hawley,  Joseph,   Hon.,  4;   on  inde 
pendence,  42—44 
Heart,    Jonathan,    Maj.,    16-18,    39, 

46,  50,  56,  78,  132,   163-73  ;  biog., 

252 
Heath,    Gen.    William,     mentioned, 

23,  24,  62,  130-32,  143  ;  orders,  243; 

310 

Hedges,  Jeremiah,  mentioned,  240,  n, 
Hillhouse,  James,  Capt.,  39,  69,  106  ; 

biog.,  290 


Hillyer,  Andrew,  Capt.,  16,  39,  69; 
biog.,  263 

Hinckley,  Samuel,  biog.,  347 

Hitchcock, Daniel,  Col.,i6,  24,  37,  38, 
40,  41,  45,  47,  59-61,  63  ;  biog.,  226 

Hobart,  John  Sloss,  Judge,  men 
tioned,  6 

Hopkins,  Daniel,  Rev.,  mentioned, 
215,  n. 

Hopkins,  Mark,  Col.,  4,  38,  62  ; 
biog.,  215 

Hopkins,  Samuel,  Surgeon,  biog.,  333 

Hotchkiss,  Frederick  William,  Volun 
teer,  biog.,  340 

Hotchkiss,  John,  Volunteer,  108  ; 
biog.,  198 

Howe,  Eleazar  Williams,  Volunteer, 
biog.,  320 

Hull,  William,  Lieut.-Col.,  16  37, 
39,  40,  48,  56  ;  letter,  59  ;  65,  84, 
90, 102-5,  129-32,  136, 137,  148;  let 
ter,  149  ;  243  ;  biog.,  278 

Humphreys,  David,  Aid-de-Camp,  38, 
51,  66,  67,  78  ;  letter,  117-20  ;  127, 
136  ;  letter,  153  ;  biog.,  271 

Huntington,  Ebenezer,  Lieut.-Col., 
9,  10,  16,  22,  38,  46,  66,  78,  93, 
109,110;  letter,  113;  117,  137; 
biog.,  308  ;  350 

Huntington,  Jabez,  Hon.,  9  ;  biog., 
187 


Independence,  Declaration  of,  gradu 
ates  among  signers,  41  ;  Joseph 
Hawley  on,  43,  44  ;  Pres.  Stiles  on, 
41,  n. 

Ives,  Thomas,  mentioned,  338,  n. 


J 


Johnson,  Stephen,   Chaplain,  16,  24, 

38  ;  biog.,  190 
Jones,  Thomas,  Judge,   Loyalist,  99, 

100 

Judd,    William,  Capt.,  66,  78,   165  ; 

biog.,  235 
Judson,  David,  Capt.,  10,  66,  74  ; 

biog.,  311 
Judson,  Ephraim,  Rev.,  mentioned, 

236,  n. 


K 


Kent,  James,  Chancellor,  mention  of 
Gen.    Scott,    6  ;    notice    of    Pres. 


354          Yale  in  the  Revohition. 


Stiles,    194  ;     of    Chaplain    Eben. 

Baldwin,  232,  233 

Keyes,  Stephen,  Capt.,  39  ;  biog.,  291 
Kingsbury,  Sanford,  Capt.,  69  ;  biog., 

237 
Knight,   Isaac,  Surgeon,  biog.,   252  ; 

349 


Lafayette,  Marquis  de,  Virginia  cam 
paign,  132  ;  graduates  with  him, 
133  ;  Capt.Welles'  letters,  133-35 

Laurens,  John,  Lieut. -Col.,  of  South 
Carolina,  137 

Leavenworth,  Jesse,  Capt.,  15,  16  ; 
biog.,  221 

Leavenworth,  Mark,  Dep.  Adj. -Gen., 
38,  71  ;  biog.,  274 

Leavenworth,  Nathan,  Surgeon,  149  ; 
biog.,  340 

Lee,  Andrew,  Chaplain,  biog.,  248 

Lee,  Charles,  Gen.,  at  New  Haven, 
13  ;  at  Cambridge,  23  ;  Lt.  Selden 
on,  92 

Lee,  Elisha,  mentioned,  212,  n. 

Lewis,  John,  Tutor,  mentioned,  7 

Lewis,  Ichabod,  Rev.,  mentioned,  244 

Lewis,  Isaac,  Chaplain,  38  ;  biog.,  244 

L'  Hommedieu,  Ezra,  Hon.,  men 
tioned,  6 

Little,  William,  mentioned,  67,  338,  n. 

Little,  Woodbridge,  mentioned,  214, 

215 

Livingston,  John,  mentioned,  5 

Livingston,  Peter  Van  Brugh,  men 
tioned,  5 

Livingston,  Philip,  Signer  of  Dec'l,  5, 
6,  41,  42,  48 

Livingston,  William,  Gov.,  5,  37,  38, 
40,  44,  57  ;  letter,  120  ;  biog.,  188 

Lockwood,  James,  Maj.,  i6;biog.,  249 

Lockwood,  William,  Brigade  Chap 
lain,  68  ;  biog.,  301 

Lyman,  Daniel,  Aid-de-Camp,  10,  38, 
66  ;  biog.,  320 

Lyman,  William,  68  ;   biog.,  322 


M 


McDougall,    Gen.,    at    German  town, 

74;  mentioned,  96 

Marvin,  Elihu,  Adj.,  66,  84;  biog.,  292 
Mather,    Moses,     Rev.,     mentioned, 

189,  n. 
Mills,  Samuel,  Lieut.,  67,  73  ;   biog., 

322 


Mix,  John,  Lieut.,  10,  66,  78,  85  ; 
biog.,  312 

Montgomery,  Richard,  Gen.,  on  Col. 
John  Brown,  28  ;  Wooster's  refer 
ence  to,  30 

Morey,  Samuel,  mentioned,  338,  n. 

Morris,  James,  Capt.,  10,  39,  48,  66  ; 
journal,  74,  137  ;  journal,  138  ; 
biog.,  312 

Morris,  Lewis,  Signer  of  Dec'l.,  6,  37, 
41,42;  biog.,  191 

Moseley,  Ebenezer,  Capt.,  15,  17,  69  ; 
biog.,  237 

Muirson,  Heathcote,  Volunteer,  98, 
126  ;  biog.,  323 

Mumford,  Paul,  Dep.  Gov.,  men 
tioned,  4 

Munson,  ^neas,  Surgeon,  137;  biog., 

345 

Munson,  Theophilus,  Capt.,  16,  39, 
48,  66,  74,  85,  102-4  I  biog.,  255 


N 


Newell,  Simeon,  Capt.,  16,  39,  46, 
50  ;  biog.,  314 

Newport,  R.  I.,  the  Scarborough 
driven  from,  34 ;  Col.  Babcock's 
conduct,  34 ;  Pres.  Stiles  visits 
French  officers  at,  122,  123 

Nichols,  William,  Lieut.,  39,  66; 
biog.,  229 

Noble,  Oliver,   Chaplain,    16 ;  biog., 

211 

Northrop,  Amos,   Lieut.,   39;   biog., 

230 
Northrop,  Joel,  Surgeon's  Mate,  biog., 

324 

Noyes,  John,  Surgeon,  biog.,  314 
Noyes,  William,  mentioned,  314 


Paddleford,  John,  Surgeon,  biog.,  255 
Parsons,  Gen.  Samuel  H.,  mentioned, 
120;   report  on  Hull's  expedition, 
131  ;  letter  from  West  Point,  259, 
271  ;  on  Capt.  Walker,  302 
Paterson,  John,  Gen.,  4,   14,  18,  39, 
59,    65,   77,    84,    90 ;    letter,    121  ; 
biog.,  230 
Peck,  William,  Asst.  Adj. -Gen.,  10, 

16,  38,  46,  67,  93;  biog.,  315 
Peters,  John,  Loyalist,  mentioned,  98 
Pinto,  Abraham,  mentioned,  333 
Pinto,  Solomon,  Ensign,  biog.,  333 
Pinto,  William,  Volunteer,  biog.,  334 


Index. 


355 


Pixley,  Erastus,  mentioned,  346,  n. 
Plumbe,  William,    Brigade  Chaplain, 

1 6,  39,  68  ;  biog.,  260 
Pomeroy,    Benjamin,    Chaplain,    38 ; 

biog.,   182  ;  349 
Porter,  John,   Major,  66,  77,  84,  93  ; 

biog.,  264 
Porter,   Joshua,   Lieut. -Col.,    28,   69, 

78  ;  biog.,  207 
Potter,  Jared,  Surgeon,  16,  38  ;  biog., 

224 
Preston,    Nathan,    Com.,    67;    biog. 

324 

Putnam,  Gen.  Israel,  at  Bunker  Hill, 
18-20,  23 ;  Dr.  Stiles  and,  24  ; 
mentioned,  78,  81,  96,  120 


Reed,  John,  Rev.,  mentioned,  282,  n. 
Rice,  Nathan,  Maj.,  of  Harvard,  137 
Rice,  Nehemiah,  Capt.,  39,  66,  74,  85, 

102,  104  ;  biog.,  301 
Ripley,    Hezekiah,    Chaplain,    biog., 

236 
Robbins,  Ammi  Ruhamah,  Chaplain, 

39;  biog.,  224 
Rochambeau,    and    French     officers, 

visited   by   Pres.    Stiles,    122,    123 
Russell,  Giles,  Col.,  37,  38,  48,   65, 

84,  90,  no ;  biog.,  201  ;  349 
Russell,  Thomas,  Surgeon,  39  ;  biog., 

200 


Saltonstall,  Gurdon,  Gen.,  38  ;  biog., 

180 
Sampson,     Ezra,      Chaplain,     biog., 

292 

Sanford,  David,  Chaplain,  biog.,  208 
Scammell,   Alexander,   Col.  of   Har 
vard,  137,  310 
Scott,  John  Morin,  Gen.,  6,  37,  38,  40; 

letters,  48,  82,  89  ;  biog.  192 
Seabury,  Bishop,  mentioned,  98 
Sedgwick,  Theodore,  Maj.,  4,  31,  68  ; 

biog.,  244 
Selden,  Charles,  Adj.,  67,  84,  90,  93, 

149  ;  biog. ,  334 
Selden,  Ezra,  Capt.  16,  39,  46,  50,  66, 

80;  letters,   87-91  ;    102-4;  biog., 

292 
Selden,  Samuel,  Col.,  mentioned,  293, 

334 

Sessions,    Darius,    Dep.    Gov.,    men 
tioned,  4 


Seymour,  Thomas,  Lieut. -Col.,  38  ; 
biog.,  208 

Seymour,  Thomas  Young,  Capt.,  67, 
77  ;  letter,  79  ;  biog.  336 

Seymour,  William,  Volunteer,  biog., 
343 

Shepard,  David,  Dr.,  mentioned, 
249,  n. 

Sherman,  Isaac,  Lieut.  Col.  Com., 
14;  letter,  24;  37,  38,  40,  59,  65,  78, 
84,  90,  102-5;  letter,  104;  no, 
131  ;  biog.  265 

Sherman,  Roger,  Hon.,  mentioned, 
265 

Sherman,  William,  Lieut.,  biog.,  268 

Sill,  Elisha,  Surgeon,  69;   biog.,  207 

Sill,  Richard,  Maj.,  10,  16,  39,  46,  50, 
66,  74;  letter,  148  ;  biog.,  317 

Silliman,  Gold  Selleck,  Col.,  37,  38, 
40;  letter,  45  ;  51,  56,  69,  71,  78  ; 
letter,  81  ;  144  ;  biog.,  205 

Skinner,  Thos.,  Surgeon,  biog.  232 

Smith,  Cotton  Mather,  Chaplain,  16  ; 
biog.,  203 

Smith,  William,  Judge,  mentioned,  5 

Southmayd,  William,  Rev.,  men 
tioned,  225,  n. 

Spencer,  Elihu,  Chaplain,  68  ;  biog., 
193 

Sproat,  James,  Rev.,  mentioned, 
189,  n. 

Starkweather,  Ephraim,  Rev.,  208,  n. 

Starr,  Ezra,  Capt.,  biog.,  302 

St.  Clair,  Gen.,  defeat  of,  and  Maj. 
Heart,  171  ;  mentioned,  310 

Steuben,  Baron,  Inspector-General, 
Selden's  reference  to,  88  ;  compli 
ments  Webb's  regt.and  Maj.  Hunt- 
ington,  no;  Livingston  to,  120; 
mentioned  by  Paterson,  121,  122 

Stiles,  Ezra,  Pres.,  vi,  5,  7,  8,  9 ; 
diary,  22  ;  41  ;  letter,  94 ;  108  ; 
diary,  122  ;  letter,  139  ;  biog.,  194 

Stirling,  Lord,  Gen.,  appoints  Sill  his 
Aid,  148  ;  death  of,  announced  by 
Sill  to  Wash.  148  ;  Barlow's  men 
tion  of,  339 

Stoddard,  Israel,  mentioned,  214,  215 
Stone,  William,  Rev.,  Soldier,  biog., 

348 
Storrs,    Experience,    Lieut. -Col.,   16, 

1 8  ;  diary,  20,  21  ;  biog.,  221 
Storrs,  John,  Chaplain,  38  ;  biog.,  210 
Strong,  John,  Capt.,  68  ;  biog.,  249 
Strong,  Joseph,  Chaplain,  biog.,  200 
Strong,  Nathan,  Chaplain,  biog,,  261 
Strong,  Nehemiah,  Prof., mentioned,  7 


356         Yale  in  the  Revolution. 


Sullivan,  Gen.  John,  mentioned,  23, 

92,  96  ;  on  Col.  Peck,  316 
Swift,  Jabez,  mentioned,  232,  n. 


Tallmadge,  Benj,,  Maj.,  38,  46;  ex 
tract  from  memoirs,  49,  54,  56,  67, 
73,  124;  letter,  125  ;  126,  142  ;  let 
ter,  145-47;  biog.,  295 

Taylor,  Augustine,  Lieut.,  66,  74,  84, 
90;  biog.,  324 

Taylor,  Nathaniel,  Rev.,  mentioned, 
190,  n. ;  324 

Throop,     Dyar,    Lieut. -Col.,    biog., 

222 

Tomlinson,  Jabez  H.,  Ensign,  100  ; 
biog.,  346 

Trumbull,  Benjamin,  Chaplain,  I,  16, 
38  ;  biog.,  222 

Trumbull,  Gov.  Jonathan,  men 
tioned,  3,  94,  189 

Tuthill,  Samuel,  Lieut. -Col.,  biog., 
190 


\Y 


Wadsworth,  James,  37,  38,  40,  48, 
69,  78  ;  biog.,  198 

Wadsworth,  Joseph  B,,  Surgeon, 
biog.,  250;  349 

Waldo,  Daniel,  Rev.,  Soldier,  biog., 
348 

Wales,  Samuel,  Rev.,  mentioned, 
252,  n. 

Walker,  Joseph,  Capt,  66,  78,  93  ; 
letter,  113  ;  biog.,  302 

Walker,  Robert,  Capt.,  16,  38,  67  ; 
biog.,  245 

Washington,  Gen.,  reviews  the  Yale 
Company,  12,  13  ;  mentioned  in 
Storrs'  diary,  21  ;  Nathan  Hale 
and,  54  ;  Lieuts.  Chipman  and  Sel- 
den  on,  86,  88  ;  capture  of  Stony 
Point,  101-6  ;  on  death  of  Russell 
and  promotion  of  Sherman,  no, 
in  ;  Humphreys'  letter  to,  on  the 
battle  of  Springfield,  118  ;  appoints 
Humphreys  his  Aid,  119;  on  Tall 
madge,  126  ;  opinion  of  officers, 
130;  on  Hull,  132;  at  Yorktown, 
129,  134-9,  259;  LL.D.  conferred 
on,  and  Pres.  Stiles'  letter  to,  139, 
140 ;  reviews  troops,  141  ;  Welles' 
letters,  141,  142  ;  Tallmadge's  third 
L.  I.  expedition  and,  145  ;  Hum 
phreys  from  Mt.  Vernon,  153-56  ; 


D wight's  eulogy,  156-60;  to  Wol- 
cott,  195  ;  Barlow  and,  339 

Watson,  James,  Capt.,  39,  59,  66  ; 
biog.,  325 

Wayne,  Gen.,  and  storming  of  Stony 
Point,  103-5  I  !I9 

Webb,  Nathaniel,  Capt.,  66,  74,  85, 
102  ;  biog.,  211 ;  349 

Webb,  Samuel  B.,  Col.,  mentioned, 
19,  66,  92,  93,  106,  109,  144 

Webster,  Noah,  Volunteer,  12  ;  on 
Washington  and  the  College  Com 
pany,  13  ;  69,  77,  95  ;  biog.,  341 

Welch,  Whitman,  Chaplain,  biog., 
232 

Welles,  Benjamin,  Com.,  67  ;  biog., 
3i8 

Welles,  Noah,  Chaplain,  biog.,  189 

Welles,  Roger,  Capt.,  10,  66,  93,  127, 
132  ;  letters,  i33-35~42  ;  144,  *45  J 
biog.,  318 

West,  Jeremiah,  Surgeon,  66;  biog., 

303 

West,  Nathaniel,  mentioned,  256,  n. 
Whiting,     Nathan    Haynes,     Lieut., 

137  J  biog.,  337 
Whiting,  Samuel,  Surgeon,  16  ;  biog., 

246 
Whittlesey,  Chauncey,  Col.,  95;  biog., 

240 
Wildman,    Benj.     Rev.,     mentioned, 

213,  n. 

Williams,  Elisha  S.,  39  ;  biog.,  319 
Williams,  Samuel  William,  Capt.,  66, 

78,  93  ;  letter,  139  ;  biog.,  281 
Williston,  Payson,  Rev.,   108  ;  biog., 

347 

Winslow,  Shadrach,  Surgeon,  biog.,  274 

Woodbridge,  Dudley,  Minute-man, 
249,  n. 

Woodbridge,  Enoch,  Capt.,  16,  38, 
68  ;  biog.,  304 

Woodbridge,  Joshua  Lamb,  Capt.,  16, 
68  ;  biog.,  297 

Woodbridge,  Samuel,  Rev.,  men 
tioned,  236,  n. 

Wolcott,  Oliver,  Gen.,  38,  41  ;  let 
ters,  57,  58  ;  69 ;  letter,  78  ;  biog., 

195 

Wolcott,  Oliver,  Jr.,  69,  71;  biog.,  342 
Wooster,  David,  Gen.,  15,  28  ;  orders, 

30,  31,  38,  65,   69-71  ;  letter,  72  ; 

biog.,  183 
Wooster,  Thomas,  Capt.,  38,  66,  70, 

78,  93  ;  biog.,  256 
Wyllys,  Hezekiah,  Lieut-Col.,  38,  46; 

biog.,  246 


Index. 


357 


Wyllys,  John  Palsgrave,  Maj.,  16,  38, 
48,  50,  66,  93,  1 10,  132,  133,  137, 
140,  142  ;  letters,  143  ;  163-71  ; 
biog.,  298  ;  350 

Wyllys,  Samuel,  Col.,  16,  28,  37,  38, 
40,  45,  46,  65,  78  ;  biog.,  217 

Y 

Yale  College,  ancestry  of  alumni,  vi.; 
distribution  of,  1-7  ;  Lexington 


alarm  at,  8-10  ;  the  Students'  Com 
pany,  13,  14  ;  studies  interrupted, 
69,  n.  ;  notice  from  the  Steward, 
93  ;  supply  of  flour  for,  94,  95  ; 
students  dismissed,  108,  n.;  Col. 
Fanning  intercedes  for,  109 ;  cele 
brates  the  Yorktown  surrender,  138, 
139;  confers  degree  of  LL.D.  on 
Washington,  139  ;  Washington  on, 
139.  n- 


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